Johannesburg: The South African wildlife park where a lion killed an American woman has remained open and is “operating as usual,” an official said on Tuesday. The woman who was mauled by a lion near Johannesburg has been identified as Katherine Chappell. According to Mail Online, 29-year-old Chappell worked as special effects editor for Game of Thrones.
She was attacked while taking pictures on a safari. Her companion was also injured while trying to fight off the animal.
The park was open to tourists and had received no queries about the attack that took place a day earlier, said Scott Simpson, assistant operations manager at the Lion Park.
“The park is not closed and it is not closing,” he said. “We have closed off where the incident happened, so those lions won’t be seeing the public until we have had an investigation and we know what exactly happened.”
An American woman was killed by a lioness on Monday when the animal attacked her through an open car window, also injuring the driver of the car who remains hospitalised. The car’s windows were open, contrary to park rules.
The attacking lioness will not be euthanised, but will be moved to another property owned by the park away from tourists, said Simpson.
The Lion Park is a popular tourist destination that allows visitors to drive in their own cars through large enclosures where lions roam freely.
Independent tour guide Matthew Grace, said none of his customers have raised concerns about visiting the park since the attack.
“I don’t blame the Lion Park,” said Grace, who led a tour group through the park hours before the attack. “They’re wild animals at the end of the day.”
