Leopard that mauled a veteran zookeeper at a Dutch safari park will NOT be put down while she fights for her life

Head of Animal Care Martin van Hees says the big cat simply 'did what it did' and that 'the animal cannot help it'. The keeper, a woman in her 50s, was working alone in an indoor enclosure at Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek on Saturday at around 11am. She radioed for help and a colleague rushed to reach her. The attack left her with severe head injuries, and she has since undergone surgery.

She had worked at the park for 25 years, eight of them with the predators.

No cameras cover the enclosure, so nobody knows exactly what happened.

The park stays open as normal today while staff hold an emergency meeting.