Rhino Crushes Female Zookeeper to Death, Injures Another During Feeding Time at Austria Zoo

Kirsty Hatcher
·2 min read
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Rhino Crushes Female Zookeeper to Death, Injures Another During Feeding Time at Austria Zoo

The 33-year-old zookeeper, who was not named, suffered chest injuries during the incident Tuesday morning

A zoo in Austria is temporarily closed after a rhino crushed a female zookeeper to death during an early-morning feeding round.

The Salzburg Hellbrunn Zoo announced on social media Tuesday that the premises would be closed all day due to the incident.

Earlier in the morning, around 7 a.m. local time, a female zookeeper suffered chest injuries from the rhino, zoo director Sabine Grebner said in a news conference reported on by Reuters.

During the zoo’s morning rounds, the animals are fed and treated with insect repellent, Grebner said. "We do not know exactly how it happened," Grebner explained.

A second zookeeper, who is male, was also injured in and taken to the hospital, according to Reuters. His life is not in danger.

Names of the two zookeepers were not released.

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<p>FRANZ NEUMAYR/APA/AFP via Getty</p> Banners at the entrance of the Salzburg Zoo Hellbrunn on Sept. 12, 2023 in Salzburg, Austria, after a rhinoceros attacked and killed one zookeeper and severely injured another in its enclosure

FRANZ NEUMAYR/APA/AFP via Getty

Banners at the entrance of the Salzburg Zoo Hellbrunn on Sept. 12, 2023 in Salzburg, Austria, after a rhinoceros attacked and killed one zookeeper and severely injured another in its enclosure

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The female zookeeper, who was German and from Bavaria, was said to be very experienced and specialized in rhinos, Reuters reported.

Salzburg police said in a statement to the Associated Press that the zookeeper was attacked by the rhino “for reasons that are still unknown.”

“The woman succumbed to her injuries at the scene of the accident,” the police said.

<p>BARBARA GINDL/APA/AFP via Getty </p>

BARBARA GINDL/APA/AFP via Getty

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According to the outlet, the woman was 33 years old, while the injured man is 34 years old. He was attacked while trying to scare the same rhino away.

The zoo’s director said the rhino involved was a female called Yeti and all the rhinos at the zoo are cooperative with their keepers.

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