Intern Mauled and Killed in Lion Attack at California Animal Sanctuary
One day after a woman was fatally attacked by lions while having sex with her boyfriend, another young woman was killed by a lion in an animal sanctuary in California. The woman, a 26-year-old volunteer intern at the Project Survival's Cat Haven in Dunlap, California, somehow found herself inside the enclosure for an 350-pound adult lion named Cous Cous, who CNN described as sort of a "celebrity cat."
"Upon arrival, deputies observed the victim, who appeared to be severely injured, inside the African lion enclosure with an adult male African lion. Another employee had made several attempts to distract the lion away from the victim and into another enclosure prior to the deputy's arrival, but all attempts failed," a Sheriff's Department press release stated.
"Deputies shot and killed the lion to provide medical attention to the victim," the release continued. "The victim died at the scene."
Dale Anderson, the founder of the sanctuary, read a statement, saying,"Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family at this time."
As of Wednesday afternoon, the victim's family had not been notified.
In case you need a reminder that it's a bad idea to enter a lion's cage, here's what Martine Colette, the founder of Wildlife Waystation, another animal sanctuary near LA, told NBC News.
"Never, never would I allow any one of my keepers to enter into an enclosure with a full-grown animal for any reason whatsoever," said Colette, whose facility holds more than 60 lions.
"These are animals that bring down a wildebeest, a zebra," Colette said. "They really, really, really are powerful."
