A four-year-old lad was scalped by a lion at a zoo in Turkey after his mum and dad took him into its enclosure to take a selfie.
Mum D.A. and dad T.A. took their young son, A.A., to the privately-owned zoo in Manavgat, Antalya Province, on 13th May.
After a lion caught their eye, A.A.’s uncle, a caretaker at the zoo, told the parents that the lions there were not aggressive and that they could take selfies with them.
The family then entered the enclosure to take a snap with the lion.
However, as soon as the family entered the enclosure, the lion stood up and pounced on the young lad, tearing off a large part of his scalp with its sharp claws.
After the horrified uncle and other people nearby drove the lion away, A.A. was taken to Akdeniz University Hospital by ambulance.
There, medics confirmed that he had not suffered any fractures or brain damage in the attack.
Surgeon Ozlenen Ozkan and her team were called to the hospital and reattached A.A.’s torn scalp.
The lad was then kept under observation at the hospital for 10 days.
After completing treatment with a psychologist, he was discharged. However, the psychologist will continue to monitor him for a while, according to local media.
Dr Ozkan recalled that when she was informed about the incident by phone, she said: “Did a lion attack? How is this possible?”
Describing her astonishment, she said: “After all, we are not an African country. How could a lion attack a child like that? It almost crushed his head.
“There was significant damage to the scalp. We intervened and fixed it, but there is a psychological trauma.
“Our expert colleagues are closely monitoring that aspect as well. Currently, his condition is quite good.”
At the time of reporting, the family had not filed a complaint about the zoo, and zoo officials had not made any statement regarding the incident.
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Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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