The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, stands shrouded in grief as it grapples with the heart-wrenching loss of Mr. Olabode Olawuyi.

In a harrowing statement issued by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, it was revealed that Mr. Olawuyi, a dedicated Veterinary Technologist overseeing the Zoological garden for over a decade, met a gruesome fate this fateful afternoon of Wednesday, 19th February, 2024. He fell victim to a savage assault by a 9-year-old male lion while carrying out his duties of feeding the captive animals within the confines of the University’s Zoological garden.

Despite the valiant efforts of his colleagues who rushed to his aid, the ferocious beast had inflicted irreparable harm, leaving behind a trail of devastation.

The news of this tragic incident prompted an immediate halt to ongoing activities, as the management, under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon BAMIRE, rushed to the scene for a firsthand assessment of the catastrophe.

Upon arrival, Vice-Chancellor BAMIRE was met with the grim reality as relayed by the Acting Director of the University Health and Medical Centre, Dr. Tirimisiyu Olatunji – all attempts to revive Mr. Olawuyi proved futile, underscoring the brutal finality of the attack.

In a somber turn of events, the University was compelled to take drastic measures, resorting to the euthanization of the aggressive lion responsible for the tragedy.

Mr. Olawuyi’s tenure as caretaker of the lions, nurturing them from birth over the past nine years, tragically culminated in his untimely demise at the hands of the very creatures he had nurtured.

In an act of compassion, the University administration dispatched a delegation to extend condolences to the grieving widow and children of the deceased, urging them to seek solace in the unfathomable mysteries of divine providence.

Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor BAMIRE has decreed a thorough investigation into the immediate and underlying factors precipitating this calamity, underscoring the urgent need for accountability and preventive measures to forestall any recurrence of such horrors.