A 21-year-old woman was bitten in the neck by a lion after being dragged off a horse during a South Africa safari – but miraculously survived.
Swedish volunteer Naemi Boy from Malmo was accompanying a group on a horse safari in Tzaneen when the horrifying incident took place.
She had been assigned to ride at the back of the group as a safety measure, but unbeknownst to anyone a lion had been lying in the nearby undergrowth.
As Naemi passed, the young male animal suddenly sprang out, bit her in the neck and dragged her from her horse.
What happened immediately afterwards is unclear, but the lion reportedly let go of her and disappeared into the savannah.
The incident left Naemi with severe injuries.
Her colleagues rushed to her aid and took her to hospital in Tzaneen.
Naemi later told local media: ‘The bite went down to the vertebrae. Two vertebrae broke, and the spinal cord was damaged.’
A 21-year-old woman was bitten in the neck by a lion after being dragged off a horse during a South Africa safari – but miraculously survived
Swedish volunteer Naemi Boy from Malmo was accompanying a group on a horse safari in Tzaneen when the horrifying incident took place
She had been assigned to ride at the back of the group as a safety measure, but unbeknownst to anyone a lion had been lying in the nearby undergrowth
She also broke her hand when she fell from the horse in October.
She later suffered a stroke in hospital, and an infection developed in the bite wound.
After several weeks of treatment, Naemi was stable enough to be flown home to Sweden on Friday, where she is now being treated in Malmo.
She said: ‘I must have had a guardian angel. I’m numb on the left side after the stroke, but I can move everything. The doctors say I will make a full recovery.
‘Who can say that after a lion attack?’
She continues to wear a neck brace and faces the possibility of surgery, though doctors believe she may recover without an operation.
Naemi said she recognised the lion that attacked her, describing it as around two years old and previously seen several times near the safari area.
She believes the lion may have jumped at her out of curiosity.
Naemi also broke her hand when she fell from the horse
Naemi said she recognised the lion that attacked her, describing it as around two years old and previously seen several times near the safari area
She later suffered a stroke in hospital, and an infection developed in the bite wound
Despite the attack, Naemi said she plans to return to South Africa once she has recovered fully
Naemi said she remembers mounting the horse before waking up in hospital and thinks the trauma caused her memory to block the rest.
She avoids thinking about what could have happened because it keeps her awake at night.
Despite the attack, Naemi said she plans to return to South Africa once she has recovered fully.
She said: ‘I had such a good time there. I definitely want to go on another horseback safari. But I’ll never ride last again.’
A four-year-old boy was left with severe facial paralysis after he was bitten on the face by a spitting cobra whilst he slept during a safari in South Africa.
The Dutch boy was on holiday with his family when he was bitten on the face by a Mozambican spitting cobra in 2021.
He was saved by doctors in South Africa at a rural hospital where he was resuscitated and treated with antivenom.
The boy was flown back to Holland 12 days later where he was treated by Doctor Willem Rinkel at the Utrecht University Medical Centre.
A four-year-old Dutch boy was bitten on the face by a spitting cobra whilst he slept during a safari in South Africa. Pictured: The little boy in hospital after being bitten by the cobra
Uriel Nuri (pictured, with a leopard) was pronounced dead after suffering wounds to his neck and upper body at Jerusalem Biblical Zoo in August
Doctors originally feared the paralysis would be permanent but following months of rehabilitation, most of it has been reversed.
In August, a zookeeper has been mauled to death by a leopard after it escaped from its enclosure while he prepared a tour for visitors.
The 36-year-old employee at Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, named locally as Uriel Nuri, was pronounced dead after suffering wounds to his neck and upper body.
The zoo said in a statement: ‘During a routine activity to prepare food for the leopards, which took place as part of a behind-the-scenes tour for visitors of the zoo, a leopard managed to escape from the leopard house into the inner courtyard and attacked one of the zoo employees.’
An investigation was launched in association with the police to understand how the leopard managed to escape into the courtyard.
