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Pre-school sisters bitten by
lions on Walk-with-Lions excursion 1/5/2010 1:26:00 AM Beeld / South Africa Two pre-school little girls have been severely traumatized after the young female lions jumped on them over the weekend while visiting a lion breeding project. The girls were bitten on the head, buttocks and arms respectively. Anzelle (5) and Milla (3) van Heerden were treated at the Midvaal Hospital in Vereeniging for bite and scratch wounds. “It is no joke to see your daughter in the grip of a lion” said Mr. Ernest van den Heever after the attack on his finance Ms. Lozelle van Heerden’s daughters. They all live in Vereeniging. This past weekend they visited the breeding project with Van den Heever’s son, Kenneth (18), and another relative Mr. Jaco Brits (18), at the Weltevrede Lion breeding farm between Heilbron and Sasolburg. “We took part in the “walk-with-lions” excursion offered on the farm. After two large males were pulled into another camp and we were allowed to touch and interact with four young female lions” “The guide explained to us that lion would normally target the smallest and youngest as prey, but the children were still allowed in the camp to play with the lions.” Milla apparently bent down to stroke one of the lions when an eight month old female lion jump on her from behind and got hold of her pony tail. “We should probably rather have carried her all the way. It was a real battle to get the lion off her and she sustained numerous bite and scratch wounds” said van Heerden. Another eight month old female lion then jumped up and bit Anzelle on her buttocks while she was being carried by Brits on his hip. According to Van Heerden the guide was not a match for the lions and it became necessary for the owner, Mr. Nico Roets to escort the group to safety from the camp. According to Roets lions are dangerous animals and not teddy bears. “People do not realize this and want to handle and stroke lions” he said. He further said that the lions attack was “bite-to-play” and bite-to-kill”. He also defended the guide and said she was indeed capable of handling the lions and that he was happy with the way in which she executed her duties. According to Van Heerden the girls are having difficulty sleeping. He feels that the attacked could have been avoided had the children not been allowed into the lion camps. |
