Lion kills worker after escaping locked area at wildlife park

The Conservators Centre says a worker has been killed by a lion that got loose from a locked space. Photo / AP

A lion killed a worker at a wildlife conservatory today after it got loose from a locked space, the North Carolina centre said.

The lion was shot and killed after it attacked the worker in an enclosure that was being cleaned at the Conservators Centre in Caswell County.

A "husbandry team" led by a professionally trained animal keeper was carrying out the routine cleaning when the lion somehow got loose, the centre said.

Escaped lion kills 22-year-old intern at North Carolina zoo. https://t.co/qDxwM7QYD8

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 30, 2018

It wasn't clear how the lion left the area that was supposed to be locked, said the centre, which will be closed until further notice.

"The Conservators Centre is devastated by the loss of a human life today," the statement said.

The centre said the lion was shot and killed to allow county personnel to retrieve the injured worker.

"This is an ongoing investigation, we have no further details at this time, and the family has not yet been notified. We will offer more information as we know more," the statement said.

The facility was founded in 1999 and is in Burlington, northwest of Raleigh.

On its website, the centre said it began giving public tours in 2007 and gets more than 16,000 visitors annually. It has more than a dozen employees and currently houses more than 80 animals and more than 21 species.

The centre says it took in 14 lions and tigers in 2004 to assist the US Department of Agriculture with caring for animals that were living in "unacceptable conditions".

A message seeking comment was left with a spokesman for the county sheriff's office.

- AP