Tourist Olga Solomina wanted a close up of a lion at a Crimean safari park but she got a little too close when she got bitten.
One of the pride lions grabbed Solomina, from Kirov, as she vacationed in Crimea and visited the safari park Taigan. She said she had dreamed of going on a safari in Africa.
As Solomina told TV channel Crimea 24, she had paid six thousand rubles(about $95 US) for the excursion.
All I remember is that I sat next to this young lion, took him by the mane, as I was told that you can take it. I just put my hand on it. And at that moment a jerk to the brush, and they dragged me like a doll. I closed my eyes.”
Solomina said the other lions immediately revived as the lion grabbed her and dragged her.
It was, of course, seconds, but to me they seemed like an eternity. At this time I managed to say goodbye to life. I thought they would rip it now. After that I woke up.
Solomina said she was bleeding and escaped the ordeal with only minor injuries to her arm and has since been discharged from hospital.
Zoo director Oleg Zubkovchased away the lion. He said there had not been a similar incident in the seven years the park had been operating the tour.
He claimed Ms Solomina had broken security rules by being drunk at the time of the incident and he had offered to pay her medical bills after she had demanded compensation.
