A zookeeper was tragically killed by lions at Safari World in Bangkok, Thailand, as tourists watched in horror, unable to do more than honk their horns in a futile attempt to deter the animals.
Chilling video has surfaced showing the moment a group of lions pounced on an employee after he exited his vehicle within an open enclosure. The horrifying event took place around 11 a.m. local time when "three or four" lions attacked the man so brutally that his bones were exposed.
The gruesome scene unfolded in front of visitors who, feeling helpless, frantically sounded their car horns trying to frighten the lions away.
Shocked onlookers recounted how they witnessed the attack from just 30 feet away, seeing the lions overwhelm the hapless zookeeper.
Professor Tavatchai Kanchanarin, a doctor visiting the park, described the chilling details, noting the lions targeted the man "while he was getting out of his car" slowly advancing before seizing and dragging him down.
"The lion attacked the zookeeper while he was getting out of his car," he detailed.
"It was about [30 feet] away, then slowly approached and grabbed the zookeeper from behind, dragging him to the ground and biting him.
"Three or four other lions then joined in with biting the zookeeper," he continued.
"Many people witnessed the incident but didn't know how to help. They honked their own car horns and shouted for help."
"At first, I assumed it was familiar to the zookeepers, as the person who was bitten might have been a lion keeper.
"I thought the lions were trying to hug him, so no one went near that area."
The terrifying attack only ended when zoo officials, armed with guns, arrived and forced the lions to scatter into the wilderness.
Tragically, they were too late to save the unidentified worker, who had already succumbed to his injuries.
The savage attack lasted around 15 minutes before the zookeeper was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead, according to Professor Kanchanarin.
Officials from Bangkok World Safari Park have not yet issued a statement about the horrific event that has shocked onlookers.