By The Associated Press

Published: Friday, March 8, 2013, 9:48 p.m.
Updated: Friday, March 8, 2013

FRESNO, Calif. — Family members of a 24-year-old intern killed by a lion at a California animal park said Friday they believe the facility followed safety protocols and the death was a tragic accident.

Investigators believe the 5-year-old male lion lifted the door of a partially closed feeding cage with its paw and killed Dianna Hanson as she cleaned a bigger enclosure area, Fresno County Coroner David Hadden has said.

Family members said they're relieved the young woman was killed instantly when the lion swiped or lunged at her.

“We're thankful to know she didn't suffer,” Hanson's brother, Paul R. Hanson, told The Associated Press.

Dianna Hanson died from a broken neck, according to a Fresno County coroner's autopsy report.

Other injuries occurred after her death, the report states.

Family members say they don't believe it was a mauling, but rather a lion's rough play that turned tragic.

“It sounds like it was an accident, maybe the latch had not been completely closed ... You know, house cats are smart, they can open doors,” Paul Hanson said. “It wasn't a vicious attack ... because you would expect severe lacerations and biting on the neck and that was not the case.”

Paul Hanson and his wife Tiffany Windle-Hanson, who was the victim's college roommate, don't believe any rules were broken at Cat Haven, the animal park run by the nonprofit group Project Survival.

“It was just a tragic accident,” Windle-Hanson said.

1. Fire chief says search almost complete in Oklahoma
2. Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb
3. Big and scary asteroid will luckily just make a flyby
4. 2nd court: Obama exceeded power
5. Drilling fees pale to tax in new research by Pennsylvania organization
6. Individual channel purchases pushed
7. Kentucky town still grieves 25 years after drunken-driver crash killed 27
8. 2nd effort for media shield law suggested as Obama, Holder claim no involvement in subpoenas of AP phone records
9. Exploitation of seniors cost them $3B in year
10. Accord reached on bipartisan immigration measure
11. 1 SEAL dead, 7 injured in training crash at Kentucky fort

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.