Lion ‘instantly kills’ a lioness in front of visitors at a UK safari park on New Year’s Day - what happened

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Guests at Longleat Safari Park were diverted after the vicious attack took place.

A lioness has died “instantly”after it was attacked by a fellow lion at a UK safari park on New Year’s Day. Visitors of the popular attraction witnessed the brutal killing first-hand.

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Longleat Safari Park, which is located in Wiltshire, is a much-loved facility that attracts families and people of all ages. It allows guests to drive through the enclosures with their cars and experience the wildlife it has to offer.

Though it was revealed that cars were barred from the centre on Sunday (January 1) due to an “unknown major incident.” Longleat has since confirmed that this was due to the death of one of their animals.

It is understood that while visitors looked on, one of the enclosure’s lionesses could be seen “motionless” on the ground. This came after it was brutally and “instantly” killed by a lion.

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A spokesperson from Longleat Safari Park has issued the following statement, which reads: “This weekend (January 1, 2023) saw one of the lionesses at Longleat sadly killed by another lion. This kind of incident is very rare but can naturally occur amongst apex predators.

“It happened incredibly quickly, with the lioness dying almost instantly. Our professional keepers were immediately on the scene, however the timescales involved meant there was no possibility of intervention.”

Longleat wanted to assure the public that in the moment of the killing there was “no risk to guests”. The safari park has since reopened.

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