An 18-year-old Montreal woman is recovering after she was attacked by a lion at a wild animal rehabilitation centre in South Africa.
“This young lady sustained multiple bites to her legs and to her lower body,” said Robyn Baard, client services manager at Medi-Clinic Nelspruit, where the woman was treated.
“I can’t go into too much detail about that, but she is certainly not in any critical condition.”
Baard identified the woman as Lauren Fagen. She was brought to the clinic Monday.
“We’re happy to say that she’s upbeat, and we’re expecting one of her parents to arrive in South Africa soon,” she said.
“At this stage, she is not in any danger.”
According to The Canadian Press, the five-year-old lion grabbed the young woman’s leg and tried to drag her into the cage.
Fagen is a volunteer at the Moholoholo rehabilitation centre, which cares for wild animals that are injured or orphaned.
The centre is located in the country’s northeast, near Pretoria.