Intern Alexandra Black was mauled by a lion Sunday afternoon while cleaning an enclosure at the Conservators Center in Burlington, North Carolina. The recent graduate of Indiana University worked as an intern for about two weeks prior to her death. Black was originally from New Palestine, Indiana, but ventured to North Carolina to begin her career in the zoological industry. Black was only twenty-two at the time of her death, but her love for animals had developed long before.

 Black graduated from Indiana University in May of 2018 with a degree in animal sciences. She left her internship at Wolf Park for her first out-of-state gig at the Conservators Center.

 Matthai, the male lion at fault for Black’s death, was able to escape a locked holding enclosure and attack Black while she and coworkers were performing a routine cleaning of another enclosure. The lion was killed by sheriff’s deputies after efforts to tranquilize it failed. Matthai was born at the wildlife conservation center shortly after his mother was placed there in 2004.