Zoo director sentenced after fatal lion attack in Parkent

At the end of last year, three lions killed a guard at a zoo in the Parkent district of the Tashkent region, and a criminal case was opened under Article 257 of the Criminal Code (Violation of labor protection rules). The case was considered by the Parkent District Court for Criminal Cases.

By the verdict, the director of the private zoo “Lion Park” was found guilty of committing a crime under Part 2, Paragraph “a” of Article 257 of the Criminal Code (Violation of labor protection rules). He was sentenced to three years of restriction of liberty and released from prison in the courtroom.

For information, this tragic incident occurred on December 17, 2024, at approximately 05:00 in the morning. A zookeeper entered a cage containing three African lions to film them. The animals attacked and killed the guard, consuming parts of his body.

The incident was discovered by zoo staff at 09:00. Two lions were returned to their cages using tranquilizers, while one lion was shot and killed by a local hunter.