Wildlife park owner is dragged away and attacked by a lion in front of screaming onlookers after he entered its enclosure in South Africa.
A wildlife park owner was savagely mauled by a lion in front of screaming onlookers after he entered the animal’s enclosure.
Mike Hodge, a 67-year-old British expat, was rushed to hospital with injuries to the neck and jaw following the shocking incident caught on film in South Africa.
Pictures shows Mr Hodge smiling in his hospital bed despite his injuries, with a friend telling The Sun that he is recovering from the dramatic ordeal.
The video of the attack, filmed at the Marakele Predator Park in South Africa
, shows Mr Hodge entering the lion’s enclosure.
‘Mike and one of his rangers were a little concerned about a smell in a compound that was upsetting one of the lions and had gone in through the gate to see what was causing it,’ the friend told The Sun.
‘He is no fool around lions and knows how to interact with them but clearly something went wrong’.
Witnesses watch in horror as the animal pursues him towards the metal door to the pen – at the park nine kilometers from Thabazimbi.
Onlookers scream as he is dragged back by the beast. The hulking animal claws at the man – who goes limp in its grip.
The lion drags the man farther into the enclosure, into some bushes and onlookers scream for help.
Then, suddenly, a loud bang is heard. The lion drops Mr Hodge and runs for cover.
A woman howls in horror at what she has just witnessed while another man is heard shouting ‘get a rifle just in case’.
The big cat is thought to have been put down in the wake of the grisly attack.
Marakele remains closed in the wake of the attack while Chrissy was belived to be too upset to comment.
Marakele Predator Park was established in 2010 by Mr Hodge and his wife Chrissy after they emigrated from the UK, according to its website.
They moved to South Africa in 1999 and started a lion conservation project in 2003 on a farm 30kms from Thabazimbi.
A few years later they relocated to the town in the Limpopo province and founded the Marakele Predator Park.
Their current site has over a dozen big cat, including white lions, cheetahs and two Bengal tigers.
Guests can stay in safari tents and each night they ‘will be able to hear the lions roar, hyenas laugh, and jackals calling’.
Tents are furnished with double or single beds, and each one has an en-suite bathroom with a shower, the website reads.
The video sparked debate on social media, with some criticising the man for entering the enclosure.
One viewer questioned why he had ventured so close to the big cat.
‘Why was he inside the enclosure? That’s insane!’ Claire Allen wrote.
Another commented on how the lion was just acting according to its animal instinct.
Debbie Wagner said: ‘So sad that the lion is only doing what comes naturally to him.
‘Set him free, where he deserves to be.’
Source : Daily Mail UK
Big cat attack. Who is Mike Hodge, the man attacked by a lion in South Africa? Did he survive and where is the Marakele Predator Centre?
The pair relocated to South Africa in 2003 to create the Marakele Predator Centre
A BRITISH safari park owner was savaged by a huge male lion in front of horrified onlookers after entering it’s cage.
Mike Hodge suffered neck and jaw injuries after the big cat draggef him across the enclosure at the predator park he’d set up with his wife as a passion project.
Mike relocated with his wife Chrissy to South Africa and opened an animal sanctuary
Who is Mike Hodge?
Mike Hodge, 67, is a British man who relocated to South Africa with his wife Chrissy in 2003.
Together they set up the Marakele Animal Sanctuary on a farm 30km from Thabaziambi, northern South Africa, the same year
The centre developed from a personal lion project into a tourist attraction in 2010.
The Marakele Predator Centre provided a ‘lion mobile’ to allow visitors to get up close and personal with the big cats.
On May 1 Mike was mauled by one of the lions in his sanctuary as he went to investigate a “strange smell”.
Horrified onlookers watched as the lion grabbed and dragged him backwards.
Mike was rescued by a warden who fired a gun causing the big cat to drop its prey and run for cover.
He was rushed to hospital with injuries to his neck and jaw injuries.
The pair ran the Marakele Animal Sanctuary which is home to at least a dozen big cats
Did he survive?
Mike survived the savage attack by the lion and is recovering in hospital.
Pictures have shown the 67-year-old smiling in his hospital bed despite his injuries.
It is believed that the lion has been put down for the savage attack.
Where is the Marakele Predator Centre?
The Marakele Predator Centre in 9km outside of Thabazimbi in northern Africa which is 255km from Johannesburg.
Mike and Chrissy founded it in 2003 before it expanded in 2010 to be a tourist attraction and it became the Marakele Animal Sanctuary.
Visitors to the sanctuary are able to watch the animals being fed and get up close and personal with the big cats in the ‘lion mobile’.
First pic of Brit safari park owner mauled by lion in front of terrified onlookers
The centre also offers tourists the chance to camp out on site in one of the three Safari Tents.
The sanctuary is home to a at least a dozen big cats, including white lions, cheetahs and two Bengal tigers.
However the park is currently closed following the attack on Mike.
Moment man is attacked by lion and dragged by the neck into the bush
Who is Mike Hodge?
Mike Hodge, 67, is a British man who relocated to South Africa with his wife Chrissy in 2003.
Together they set up the Marakele Animal Sanctuary on a farm 30km from Thabaziambi, northern South Africa, the same year.
The centre developed from a personal lion project into a tourist attraction in 2010.
The Marakele Predator Centre provided a ‘lion mobile’ to allow visitors to get up close and personal with the big cats.
On May 1 Mike was mauled by one of the lions in his sanctuary as he went to investigate a “strange smell”.
Horrified onlookers watched as the lion grabbed and dragged him backwards.
Mike was rescued by a warden who fired a gun causing the big cat to drop its prey and run for cover.
He was rushed to hospital with injuries to his neck and jaw injuries.
Did he survive?
Mike survived the savage attack by the lion and is recovering in hospital.
Pictures have shown the 67-year-old smiling in his hospital bed despite his injuries.
It is believed that the lion has been put down for the savage attack.
Where is the Marakele Predator Centre?
The Marakele Predator Centre in 9km outside of Thabazimbi in northern Africa which is 255km from Johannesburg.
Mike and Chrissy founded it in 2003 before it expanded in 2010 to be a tourist attraction and it became the Marakele Animal Sanctuary.
Visitors to the sanctuary are able to watch the animals being fed and get up close and personal with the big cats in the ‘lion mobile
Story writer : The Sun UK
Email : musvozimbabwe@gmail.com
VIDEO
