A lion has killed another lion in a savage attack at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.
Visitors to the Warminster-located zoo watched on in horror as one cat ripped another to its death – whilst staff declared a ‘major incident’ and diverted guests away from the enclosure.
The incident took place on New Year’s Day and a lioness was declared dead despite efforts to intervene by keepers.
Longleat said the animal died almost instantly from its injuries and described the incident as something that can naturally occur with packs of lions and other predetors.
In a statement, they said: “This weekend (1st January 2023) saw one of the lionesses at Longleat sadly killed by another lion.
“This kind of incident is very rare but can naturally occur amongst apex predators. It happened incredibly quickly, with the lioness dying almost instantly.
“Our professional keepers were immediately on the scene, however the timescales involved meant there was no possibility of intervention. There was no risk to guests.”
