Night vigilante dies two months after being attacked by lions in Zoo de Mérida

José Leopoldo Zambrano Dávila, night vigilant of the Chorros de Milla Zoological Park in Mérida, died on April 3 after more than two months hospitalized because of the serious injuries suffered in a two lions attack.

The incident occurred in January, when Zambrano Dávila, 59, entered a restricted zone of the zoo in apparent drunken state, breaking the security protocols. Testimonies indicate that, before starting his turn, he had consumed alcohol with some friends.

According to the journalist Jordin Morales Zambrano, during the early morning, the man would have transferred one of the protection barriers and bring his hand closer to the lions of the Lions Carú and Murachí, causing the attack of the felines. As a consequence, he suffered the traumatic amputation of his left arm and other serious injuries, so he was urgently transferred to the Autonomous Institute of the Andes University Hospital (IAHULA).

Despite medical efforts, Zambrano Dávila remained 65 days in critical condition until, finally, the complications derived from their wounds caused their death.

The event shocked the local community, both for the circumstances of the accident and for the seriousness of the outcome. So far, the zoo authorities have not issued an official pronouncement, although it is anticipated that security measures will be reinforced to avoid future incidents.