A young woman on safari barely escaped with her life when a lion dragged her off her horse and bit her in the neck, leaving her with several deep gashes.
The incident took place near Tzaneen, South Africa, in early October, when 21-year-old Swedish volunteer Naemi Boy from Malmo was accompanying a group on a horse safari.
Naemi had been assigned to ride at the back of the group as a safety measure, a position usually taken by a staff member.
But unbeknownst to anyone, a lion had been lying in wait in the undergrowth.
As Naemi passed, the young male lion 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.
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.”
She also broke her hand when she fell from the horse.
She later suffered a stroke in hospital, and an infection developed in the bite wound.
After several weeks of treatment, she was stable enough to be flown home to Sweden on Friday, where she is now being treated in Malmo.
Naemi 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 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.”
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: newsX
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