Berlin zookeeper crushed to death by musk ox

Berlin zookeeper crushed to death by musk ox

A Berlin zookeeper was crushed to death by a several-hundred kilogram musk ox after the keeper forgot to close a security enclosure.

The woman, whose name was not released, was feeding the musk ox when it came through a gate that should have been shut to isolate the area from the main pen, said Bernhard Blaszkiewitz, director of Berlin's Tierpark.

The woman had worked at the zoo for more than 20 years, he said.

"It was a tragic accident," he said.

Musk Ox are an Arctic mammal, noted for their thick coat and the strong odor emitted by males, from which it derives its name.