Zookeeper is fighting for her life after being mauled by a leopard at Netherlands park she had worked at since she was 17

Published: 15:58 EDT, 25 October 2026 | Updated: 16:23 EDT, 25 October 2026 A zookeeper is fighting for her life after being mauled by a leopard at a Netherlands wildlife park she has been employed at since she was 17. The woman - who has not been named but is in her fifties - was attacked after entering the enclosure of two male Persian leopards at Safaripark Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek on Saturday morning. She was found by colleagues who heard her on their walkie-talkies crying out for help.The woman, who has worked at the park since she was a teenager, was then helicoptered to hospital with severe head and neck injuries and immediately operated on. Despite the operation being successful, the woman remains in a coma, with her condition described as 'worrying' by Martin van Hees, head of animal care at Safaripark Beekse Bergen.Mr van Hees said: 'At this moment, the woman is in the hospital and is undergoing surgery; her condition is worrying. We know there is a risk when working with dangerous animals, but you never want to experience something like this.' A zookeeper is fighting for her life after being mauled by a leopard at Safaripark Beekse Bergen in the Netherlands (Pictured: paramedics at the scene) Safaripark Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek houses two Persian leopards. It is not clear which leopard was involved in the attack Mr van Hees also confirmed the leopard involved in the attack will not be put to sleep. The zoo houses two Persian leopards, which due to Storm Austen were being kept indoors at the time of the attack. It is not yet clear, however, which attacked the zookeeper. Mr van Hees said: 'We are not going to do anything with the leopard. It just sat in its enclosure and did what it did. The animal cannot help it. 'In principle, the enclosures are separated for humans and animals. In this case, however, something went differently than it should have.'She entered the enclosure while the leopards could also get there, and as a result, she was caught. Her immediate colleague heard the cry for help and rushed to her aid.'A spokesperson for the wildlife park added: 'We are naturally deeply saddened by this news and are doing everything we can to support her family, colleagues, and other loved ones as much as possible and to provide additional guidance where necessary.'The attack comes just weeks after 24-year-old William Chapman was mauled to death by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The former child actor was killed after climbing into an enclosure housing a 200kg Amur tiger named Altai at the Doncaster attraction. The attack comes just weeks after William Chapman (pictured) was mauled to death by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near DoncasterAltai, the 200kg Amur tiger which fatally mauled Mr Chapman, is pictured in his enclosure following the attack Paramedics and an air ambulance had rushed to the wildlife park shortly after 1.35pm on October 10, but Mr Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene.Just minutes before the fatal attack, he was seen dancing on a raised walkway above the tiger enclosure while listening to music through his AirPods.Witnesses said he asked a visitor to take photographs of him with the animal in the background before climbing over two fences to enter the enclosure.Mr Chapman subsequently posted a final video to Instagram showing himself approaching the tiger.A post-mortem examination provisionally recorded his cause of death as 'multiple traumatic injuries'.His family have described him as a 'bright, warm and engaging young man' who had struggled with significant mental illness over several years.