A woman was attacked and killed by a pack of wolves in a Swedish zoo Sunday. The 30-year-old woman was lying dead in the area which is apparently a house for eight wolves.
A police spokesman for the Ostergotland district told Reuters, "She was so badly hurt in the attack that she died of her injuries," he said. "We do not know why they attacked."
Co-workers of the woman believe that the death occurred quickly. The pack of wolves kept paramedics from getting to her body. Rescue workers and park staff entered the enclosure to recover the woman's body, with a few armed officials standing by to shoot in case the wolves attack again.
"She was really competent and trustworthy, with excellent contact with the wolves up until this happened - which truly adds to our surprise and dismay," Mats Höggren, the zoological expert of Kolmården, told The Local Sweden. "We saw no previous evidence or behavior in the wolves that would indicate such an incident could occur."
Hoggren said that there were no witnesses to the attack. The woman had been working with the zoo as a guide and lecturer for the past three years. She was very close to the wolves. When the wolves attacked, she was engaged in building trust and rapport with the animals which all members and staff practice as a social activity.
One of the coworkers told The Local Sweden, "She has been taking care of some of the wolves since they were little."
More than 500,000 tourists visit the Kolmården zoo, as it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sweden.
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