Zagreb Zoo lion kills female lion, prompting calls to remove director

A male lion from Uganda attacked and killed the lioness Tayri in the Zagreb Zoo enclosure in late July. Witnesses said the male had shown aggressive behavior days before the fatal incident, with one describing, “It was very aggressive, not a game,” and another recalling the lion jumping on the lioness and grabbing her by the neck.

Zoo director Ivan Cizelj said the enclosure was built according to European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) standards and that sedation would only take effect after about ten minutes, making it ineffective after the lioness had died. The incident sparked a petition demanding Cizelj’s removal and calls for a boycott of the zoo.

The zoo’s management rejected earlier claims that the animals needed intervention, while visitors and animal‑rights groups expressed outrage over the handling of the animals and the safety of the enclosure.