A veteran zookeeper with 40 years of experience has died after being attacked by a leopard at a Dutch zoo.

The zookeeper, in his or her late 50s, was severely injured in the head and neck after being attacked by a Persian leopard on October 24 local time at Safari Park Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek, southern Netherlands, and died on October 27.

The zoo believes the zookeeper was attacked by one or two leopards during a morning patrol.

Although the leopards had been moved indoors due to a storm forecast for that day, the subsequent circumstances remain unconfirmed.

However, the zoo stated that the zookeeper was found inside the leopard enclosure, contrary to regulations.

"Something appears to have gone wrong," a zoo spokesperson said, adding that they are investigating the details of the accident with various regulatory authorities.

The deceased zookeeper started working at the zoo at the age of 17 and had been employed there for 40 years, having managed large carnivores for the past 8 years.

This is not the first fatal accident at the zoo, which is one of the most popular in the Netherlands.

In 2003, a 36-year-old employee was trampled to death by an elephant.

However, The New York Times noted that fatal accidents caused by zoo large carnivores are extremely rare in the Netherlands, where regulations on managing dangerous animals are strict.

There are about 200 large feline carnivores in Dutch zoos, and individuals cannot keep them as pets without a permit.

"Wild animals are dangerous species. They are not petting zoo goats," warned Wineker Hos, president of the Dutch Zoo Federation.

(Photo: Screenshot from the Beekse Bergen website)