Man survives lioness attack

• Tweet

JAMBEZI, Zimbabwe, July 15 (UPI) -- A man in Zimbabwe survived a lioness attack in the bush near his village, but says he is worried the lioness may still be near his home.

Joel Ngwenya went out with a group of villagers Tuesday to try and hunt a lion that had been preying on their livestock, The Chronicle, a state-run newspaper, reported.

"Lions have been causing terror in my area. A week ago they killed five of my beasts in one night. They also devoured another on Monday night," Ngwenya said Thursday. "Five villagers and I went out to look for the lions to try and save our livestock. As we were in the bush, we came face to face with a lioness."

Ngwenya said before he had time to react, the lioness lunged at him. The others in the hunting party fled from the scene.

"It then came on top of me. I looked at it straight into its eyes too. It just stood still while looking at me," Ngwenya said.

The lioness then got off Ngwenya to check on her cubs. Ngwenya said he didn't get up and run away because he was paralyzed with fear. The lioness then came back and bit his arms, he said.

He said during that moment he fell unconscious.

"I don't know what happened and it just left me lying down and went away," Ngwenya said.

Eventually, other villagers came back to find him, Ngwenya said.

He was later rushed to Victoria Falls District Hospital before being transferred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals, where he is recovering.

"I would like to urge relevant authorities to do something about these lions because our lives are in great danger," he said.