A lion has mauled and killed a Veterinary Technologist, Olabode Olawuyi at one of Nigeria’s foremost institution, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

The incident occurred on Monday while Olawuyi was feeding the lion at the Zoological garden of the university.

OAU‘s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, in a statement said the management, staff, students, and the entire campus of the school, Ile-Ife, Osun State, had been thrown into mourning following the untimely death of Olawuyi.

According to him, Olawuyi, who had been in charge of the zoological garden for over a decade, was attacked on Monday afternoon by a nine-year-old male lion when he was feeding them in their den at the Zoological garden of the university.

Olarewaju added that the other members of staff who were at the scene of the incident did everything within their power to rescue their boss but the wild cat had already caused severe fatalities.

He said on hearing the sad news, the management team, led by the Vice Chancellor, abruptly ended an ongoing meeting for an on-the-spot assessment.

The university’s spokesman stated that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, was informed, on arrival, by the Acting Director of the University Health and Medical Centre Dr. Tirimisiyu Olatunji, that all first aid and medical efforts to save the life of the victim proved abortive.

Olarewaju said OAU management had already sent a delegation to the widow and children of the deceased to commiserate with them.