Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Lion killed at Belgium's Planckendael zoo after escaping from enclosure

'After two failed anaesthetic attempts, we had to let the escaped lion sleep'

Samuel Osborne
Thursday 21 June 2018 07:42 EDT
Comments
A lioness at Planckendael zoo in Belgium. It is not yet known whether this is the animal which was killed
A lioness at Planckendael zoo in Belgium. It is not yet known whether this is the animal which was killed (ERIC LALMAND/AFP/Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A lion has been killed after it escaped its enclosure at a zoo in Belgium.

Planckendael zoo was evacuated after the female lion got out just after opening time, a spokeswoman said.

The lioness did not get out of the zoo and no visitors were in danger, Ilse Segers said.

Ms Segers said: ”The zoo has been evacuated and closed. A veterinarian is currently trying to sedate the lion.”

However, the zoo later said after two unsuccessful attempts to sedate the lion, the animal was put down.

“After two failed anaesthetic attempts, we had to let the escaped lion sleep,” the zoo said in Dutch on Twitter.

No visitor or staff member was in danger at any time, it added.

Planckendael zoo is located 19 miles north of the Belgian capital, Brussels.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in