South Africa: Lion attacks visitors to animal reserve

(Baonghean.vn) - A 22-year-old American female tourist died at an animal amusement park in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday, June 1, after being attacked by a lion there.

“Her car drove into the enclosed area for lions with the windows open,” Lion Park area manager Scott Simpson told Radio Talk 702. “A lion jumped through the window and bit the unfortunate female tourist. An ambulance was called but she died.” The victim’s companion was also seriously injured while trying to rescue the victim, Radio Talk 702 said.

This theme park is one of Johannesburg’s most popular family attractions, located less than an hour’s drive from the city centre. Here, visitors can pet lion cubs, feed giraffes or host birthday parties in the wild.

Lion Park Reserve in Lanseria, South Africa

However, questions about the park’s safety have been raised as incidents continue to occur among visitors. In March, an Australian tourist was attacked by a lioness while driving a car with the windows open. Two days after the incident, a 13-year-old boy living nearby was attacked by a leopard while riding an electric bicycle.

It is known that this park is currently home to 85 lions, including the relatively rare white lion. The idea of ​​the park is to allow visitors to approach this wild animal at a "very close" distance, observing their activities. However, warning signs are posted everywhere to close vehicle windows, in case of attacks like the rare accidents mentioned above.

Thuc Anh