A safari guide has been mauled to death by a lion in the same Zimbabwean national park where Cecil the lion lived.
Quinn Swales was taking a group of tourists on a walking safari in Hwange National Park on Monday morning when a lion suddenly charged, the company he was working for said.
“Quinn did everything he could to successfully protect his guests and ensure their safety,” the company, Camp Hwange, said on its Facebook page, adding that no other members of the group were hurt.
Swales, 40, died the morning of the attack from the injuries he suffered, it said.
Hwange National Park and its lion population drew global attention after news emerged last month of the death of Cecil, a popular black-maned male lion.
Zimbabwean authorities have said that Cecil was lured out of the park and killed in an illegal hunt paid for by Walter Palmer, American dentist. Palmer, who became the focus of an outpouring of anger over Cecil’s killing, denies he did anything wrong.
Camp Hwange describes itself as a small safari company that specializes in walking tours in the park, which covers a wide area of northwestern Zimbabwe.
It said Swales was a “fully qualified and experienced” guide.
During the safari Monday, Swales spotted fresh lion spoor and decided to track a pride of two females, two males and two cubs, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said in a statement.
It didn’t specify which of the lions attacked him but noted that one member of the pride, named Nxaha, wore a tracking collar, as Cecil did.
