British wildlife park owner is dragged away and attacked by a lion in front of screaming onlookers after he entered its enclosure in South Africa

  • Mike Hodge was mauled by a male lion in its enclosure for at least 90 seconds
  • Briton Mr Hodge is the owner of the Marakele Predator Park in South Africa
  • Mr Hodge, 67, who suffered neck injuries, was only saved after a shot was fired
  • The big cat is thought to have been put down in the wake of the grisly attack

  • The 67-year-old man mauled by a huge male lion in South Africa is the wildlife park's British owner, it has been revealed.
    Mike Hodge was rushed to hospital with injuries to the neck and jaw following the shocking incident caught on film.
    Pictures shows Mr Hodge smiling in his hospital bed despite his injuries, with a friend telling The Sun that he is recovering from the dramatic ordeal.
    The video of the attack, filmed at the Marakele Predator Park in South Africa, shows Mr Hodge entering the lion's enclosure.  
    Recovering: Mr Hodge, 67, is seen in hospital where he is recovering with neck and jaw injuries
    Recovering: Mr Hodge, 67, is seen in hospital where he is recovering with neck and jaw injuries

    'Mike and one of his rangers were a little concerned about a smell in a compound that was upsetting one of the lions and had gone in through the gate to see what was causing it,' the friend told The Sun.
    'He is no fool around lions and knows how to interact with them but clearly something went wrong'.
    Witnesses watch in horror as the animal pursues him towards the metal door to the pen - at the park nine kilometers from Thabazimbi.
    Onlookers scream as he is dragged back by the beast. The hulking animal claws at the man - who goes limp in its grip.
    The lion drags the man farther into the enclosure, into some bushes and onlookers scream for help.
    Attack: Mike Hodge, pictured with wife Chrissy, was attacked by a male lion in the couple's Marakele Predator Park in South Africa
    Attack: Mike Hodge, pictured with wife Chrissy, was attacked by a male lion in the couple's Marakele Predator Park in South Africa
    Predator: The 90 second video filmed at the wildlife park begins with the lions prowling around the perimeter wall of its enclosure
    Predator: The 90 second video filmed at the wildlife park begins with the lions prowling around the perimeter wall of its enclosure
    Quick thinking: After entering the enclosure, Mr Hodge is seen running for safety as the lion turns to pursue him to the gate
    Quick thinking: After entering the enclosure, Mr Hodge is seen running for safety as the lion turns to pursue him to the gate
    No chance: Witnesses watch in horror as the animal pursues him towards the metal door
    No chance: Witnesses watch in horror as the animal pursues him towards the metal door
    Then, suddenly, a shot rings out - thought to be from a warden's gun. The lion drops its prey and runs for cover.
    A woman is heard howling in horror at what she has just witnessed while another man is heard shouting 'get a rifle'. 
    The big cat is thought to have been put down in the wake of the grisly attack. 
    Marakele remains closed in the wake of the attack while Chrissy was belived to be too upset to comment.
    Marakele Predator Park was established in 2010 by Mr Hodge and his wife Chrissy after they emigrated from the UK, according to its website.
    They moved to South Africa in 1999 and started a lion conservation project in 2003 on a farm 30kms from Thabazimbi. 
    A few years later they relocated to the town in the Limpopo province and founded the Marakele Predator Park.
    Caught: The man goes limp as the lion's jaws close around his neck just feet from safety
    Caught: The man goes limp as the lion's jaws close around his neck just feet from safety
    The footage shows Mr Hodge being dragged away towards some bushes in the enclosure
    The footage shows Mr Hodge being dragged away towards some bushes in the enclosure
    Dramatic: A friend of Mr Hodge said he is used to being around the lions and that 'something went wrong'  
    Dramatic: A friend of Mr Hodge said he is used to being around the lions and that 'something went wrong'  
    Their current site has over a dozen big cat, including white lions, cheetahs and two Bengal tigers.
    Guests can stay in safari tents and each night they 'will be able to hear the lions roar, hyenas laugh, and jackals calling'.
    Tents are furnished with double or single beds, and each one has an en-suite bathroom with a shower, the website reads. The video sparked debate on social media, with some criticising the man for entering the enclosure.
    One viewer questioned why he had ventured so close to the big cat.
    'Why was he inside the enclosure? That's insane!' Claire Allen wrote.
    Another commented on how the lion was just acting according to its animal instinct.
    Debbie Wagner said: 'So sad that the lion is only doing what comes naturally to him.
    'Set him free, where he deserves to be.'



    This lion is DESPERATE to 'cuddle' his baby visitor at the zoo!
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