Horrific moment an elderly man is attacked by a lion in its enclosure in a South Africa zoo
A shocking clip showing an elderly man being attacked by a lion has surfaced. The 90-second clip, which is believed to have been shot at the Marakele Predator Center in South Africa on Saturday, shows the man being pounced on by the big cat in its enclosure and dragged off into some bushes.
The video shows the man, believed to be the owner of the park, entering the enclosure. He looks around for a second before being spotted by the lion which chases him back towards the metal door through which he entered. It is still unclear why the man entered the enclosure or what motivated the lion to attack.
Onlookers are heard screaming as the lion paws the man and drags off his seemingly lifeless body away. Gunshots are heard being fired to scare off the big cat which steps away from the body but remains close by until it is sent running by the sound of more shots. A man is heard asking for a rifle while a girl who is among the people gathered around the enclosure screams in terror.
The Sun reports that the man is believed to be alive but in a critical condition while the lion has been put down following the attack. Marakele is home to more than a dozen big cats including white lions, cheetahs and Bengal tigers. The facility is part of the Marakele Animal Sanctuary in Thabazimbi, close to South Africa's northern border with Botswana.
While lions have been known to kill humans for meat, it is not a very common occurrence. Attacks are usually caused by disease or injuries that prevent the animal from hunting its normal prey. The number of animal attacks on the continent has gone up in more recent times due to mass environmental degradation and the depletion of prey species like zebras.
Needless to say, the video shocked viewers and while they were horrified at the incident, some did question why the man entered the enclosure in the first place. Also, some also objected to the fact that the lion had to be put down following the attack. Animal lovers argued that the predator was doing what it knows best and for no fault of his was put down.