Intern killed by lion at Calif. cat preserve - KMSP-TV

Intern killed by lion at Calif. cat preserve

A 24-year-old intern died after being attacked Wednesday by a lion at a California cat preserve.

Dianna Hanson is from Washington state and began her internship this January at Cat Haven, a preserve about 45 miles east of Fresno. Her father Paul Hanson spoke with a Fox affiliate and said this job fulfilled a passion of working with large cats, and that she had worked with them in the past.

She was inside the cage with the 4-year-old male African lion when deputies received the call on Wednesday afternoon. Upon their arrival, Hanson was severely injured. A second employee then tried to lure the lion into another enclosure. The lion was ultimately shot by the officers.