Wildlife Park Kolmården / Sweden: Zookeeper Killed by Wolves in Enclosure

A female zookeeper was attacked and killed by a wolf pack at the Swedish Wildlife Park Kolmården, operated by Parks and Resorts Scandinavia, last Sunday morning. The woman, who was in her 30s, went in the wolves’ enclosure alone shortly after the park opened and obviously wasn’t able to call for help via her two-way radio in time. Since no one witnessed the attack, it is not yet clear what might have provoked the wild animals. The woman was considered as experienced and was said to have been familiar with the eight wolves. One of the park’s attraction enabled visitors to get in close contact with the wolves, but now the zoo has banned all close contact with the wolves for an indefinite time. According to the media, it was not the first critical incident with the wolves. It is questionable why the park, like other parks with similar incidents in the past, did not (re)act sooner. (eap)