A brown bear at a zoo in Uzbekistan fatally mauled a staff member who forgot to lock the gate to the animal’s enclosure, according to reports.
The Jan. 3 incident was caught on camera but was only released recently, the New York Post reported.
The victim, a worker at a zoo in the eastern Uzbek region of Andijan who was identified only by the initials A.G., had entered the bear’s enclosure to feed the animal.
However, the worker forgot to secure a gate separating him and the bear.
The zookeeper attempted to flee from the animal, but it was able to pounce on him, footage shared by the Post showed.
During the attack, other workers attempted to throw wooden planks and stones at the bear from outside of the enclosure.
Two employees later entered the enclosure and used long poles to fend off the bear.
Their coworker died on the spot due to his serious injuries, an Andijan police spokesman said.
A forensic medical examination will be completed, and local police have also opened a criminal case to probe safety issues at the zoo.
In a similar incident in December, a bear at a Florida zoo was fatally shot after it escaped its exhibit.
A curator for Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens moved in and shot the 5-year-old North American black bear named Jonny following its escape on the afternoon of Dec. 21.
The animal was “actively attacking” a worker when officials arrived.
“Our highest priority is always the safety of human lives, therefore, the bear was shot and killed,” the zoo said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The employee was injured and taken to the hospital, CBS News reported. Their wounds were not considered life-threatening.
An investigation was launched following the incident.
“We do not take this lightly. It is profoundly painful when we have a loss of an animal, especially under circumstances such as this,” Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens said.
An average of about 40 brown bear attacks happen around the world each year, according to the animal care website Pet Keen.
Most bear attacks occur supposedly because the animals feel threatened.
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