One of two lions that escaped from east German zoo shot dead after attempts to tranquillise it failed, zoo director says

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

German zookeepers have shot dead one of two lions that escaped from an enclosure after a tranquiliser failed to sedate it, the zoo’s director said.



“It’s a very, very sad outcome but we had no choice,” said the head of the zoo in the eastern city of Leipzig, Jörg Junhold.

The one-year-old lions, named Majo and Motshegetsi, had slipped into the main grounds of the zoo at about 8.40am local time, before the park opened to the public.

Staff implemented an emergency plan, placing the facility on lockdown so the animals could not breach the facility’s fences.

“After Majo was caught and Motshegetsi was hit with a tranquiliser dart, we were hopeful that the breakout could end without any loss of life,” Junhold said.

However the staff then determined they had lost control of the situation and a zookeeper shot and killed Motshegetsi. “Human safety always comes first,” Junhold said.

The two lions, originally from Namibia, arrived in Leipzig last month from Basel zoo. They were given several weeks to get used to their new home before being released into an enclosure where they could be seen by the public.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Motshegetsi (left) and Majo, originally from Namibia, arrived in Leipzig last month from Basel zoo. Photograph: Jan Woitas/AFP/Getty

The escape “surprised all of us because the enclosure had been in operation for 15 years. Of course we assume that it is secure,” Junhold said.

Last March, one tiger was killed by another at Leipzig zoo when a partition separating the animals was removed by accident.

An Ohio zoo faced international uproar in May when its staff killed a critically endangered gorilla as it dragged a young boy who had fallen into its enclosure.

While acknowledging the US zookeepers had few options, critics said the zoo should have installed more barriers. The park’s managers said its facility met all industry standards.