S Africa: Man photographs cheetahs attacking wife
19, May, BBC
The photos taken by a tourist from Scotland show his wife on the
ground, hair flying, blood on her neck, with two cheetahs nearby.
The Port Elizabeth Herald reported Friday that Violet D'Mello of
Aberdeen, Scotland, was attacked by cheetahs while in a petting pen with
the animals at a game reserve near Port Elizabeth in southeastern South
Africa.
It says she was attacked while trying to protect young children from
another group that was in the enclosure at the same time.
Her husband took photos of the attack, which were published by the
local newspaper and others.One of the photos taken by Archie D'Mello
shows Violet D'Mello smiling and posing with a cheetah raised by humans
in the enclosure, before, as she told the Herald, "it became serious
very quickly."
One of two cheetahs in the enclosure first grabbed a young girl,
leaving her with scratches and cuts that needed stitches, the Herald
reported. D'Mello tried to calm the child and her brother, and ended up
also being attacked.
She told the BBC she had numerous bite and puncture marks, and that
her scalp was "sliced open."The cheetahs "weren't being vicious. You
could tell they were just excited," Violet D'Mello told the Herald.
The Herald said park staff and other visitors pulled the cats off.
The D'Mellos continued their holiday in South Africa.
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