# 22-year-old Woman Killed By Lion That Escaped Enclosure At Animal Center: Officials



## Leeda.the.Paladin (Dec 31, 2018)

A 22-year-old woman looking to start a career working with animals was attacked and killed by a lion after it escaped a locked space at a North Carolina animal center on Sunday, officials said.

A "husbandry team, led by a professionally trained animal keeper, was carrying out a routine enclosure cleaning" at the Conservators Center in Burlington when a lion left the locked space, went into the area where the humans were and killed Alexandra Black, the Caswell County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Black, 22, had worked at the Conservator Center for just 10 days, her family said.

She loved animals and "died following her passion," her family said.













Personnel were unable to tranquilize the lion, named Matthai, so deputies shot and killed it so Black's body could be retrieved, the sheriff's office said.

It was not immediately clear how the lion escaped the enclosure, according to the center and the sheriff's office.

Black, from New Palestine, Indiana, was a 2018 graduate of Indiana University, family members said, reported Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV.



(MORE: American tourist attacked and killed by a lion in South Africa)


"She was a beautiful young woman who had just started her career," her family said. "There was a terrible accident, and we are mourning."

The Conservators Center said in a statement it was "devastated by the loss of a human life."

"This is the worst day of my life. We've lost a person. We've lost an animal. We have lost the faith in ourselves a little today," Mindy Stinner, executive director of the Conservators Center, told Raleigh ABC affiliate WTVD.


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## SoopremeBeing (Dec 31, 2018)

That’s unfortunate.


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## Pat Mahurr (Dec 31, 2018)

What a horrible way to go.  My Lord.


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## Crackers Phinn (Jan 1, 2019)

_*A "husbandry team, led by a professionally trained animal keeper, was carrying out a routine enclosure cleaning" at the Conservators Center in Burlington when a lion left the locked space, went into the area where the humans were *_

Silly me,  I thought that routine meant that you had an established set of practices and protocols.   Which part of the routine involves not noticing the lion heading over to the people buffet?  How did a "team of professionals"  lose track of a whole   lion?

I am never going to be in a room with a lion but if that highly unlikely situation ever came up, I bet you that I would know where the lion is at at all times.    If at any point somebody said, "Crackers, where the lion at?" I'd be like "Right there." ==>

I do not need a special sign that says keep your eye on the Lion in the room.  Maybe other people do.


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## qchelle (Jan 1, 2019)

Crackers Phinn said:


> _*A "husbandry team, led by a professionally trained animal keeper, was carrying out a routine enclosure cleaning" at the Conservators Center in Burlington when a lion left the locked space, went into the area where the humans were *_
> 
> Silly me,  I thought that routine meant that you had an established set of practices and protocols.   Which part of the routine involves not noticing the lion heading over to the people buffet?  How did a "team of professionals"  lose track of a whole   lion?
> 
> ...



I cannot yo


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## Theresamonet (Jan 1, 2019)

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> She loved animals and "died following her passion," her family said.



These types of statements are so annoying to me. No one wants to be lion lunch, no “passion” is worth that.


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## kikigirl (Jan 1, 2019)

I came across this article this morning while trying to find news reports about the little 7-year old who was shot in Houston.
This intern’s death kept popping up on national news (I guess because the search included “Black,” which is the deceased’s last name).

I didn’t feel moved at the time other than “oh, death by roaming lion...that’s horrible!”


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## lesedi (Jan 1, 2019)

Who is 22?


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## HappilyLiberal (Jan 2, 2019)

Crackers Phinn said:


> _*A "husbandry team, led by a professionally trained animal keeper, was carrying out a routine enclosure cleaning" at the Conservators Center in Burlington when a lion left the locked space, went into the area where the humans were *_
> 
> Silly me,  I thought that routine meant that you had an established set of practices and protocols.   Which part of the routine involves not noticing the lion heading over to the people buffet?  How did a "team of professionals"  lose track of a whole   lion?
> 
> ...


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## Sheriberi (Jan 2, 2019)

I am beginning to feel like any animal can escape almost any enclosure if it wants to badly enough.
I have been wary of zoos since the the San Francisco Zoo tragedy of Christmas 2007.


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## Southernbella. (Jan 2, 2019)

Theresamonet said:


> These types of statements are so annoying to me. No one wants to be lion lunch, no “passion” is worth that.


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