Lion at Perth Zoo. (Flickr/ Yagan Kiely)

"The lion had been fed, the young woman was cleaning the large enclosure, and the lion was in the small cage. The gate of the cage was partially open, which allowed the lion to lift it up with his paw," Fresno County Coroner, David Hadden told the AP.

The four-year-old lion, Cous Cous, then ran at Hanson and swiped her across the head with its paw, a fatal blow that snapped her neck.

The lion was later shot by deputies so they could access Hanson.  The reasons as to why the feline attacked the intern remain unknown; according to park employees, Cous Cous had been fed.

Diana Hanson's father, Paul Hanson, a Seattle-area attorney, spoke to the AP late Wednesday and said that his daughter had had a fascination with big cats since an early age. "It was just a dream job for her."

Read the full story at the AP.

Reach Executive Producer Francesca Martens here. Follow here.