It is believed that the lion has been put down for the savage attack. He raised Shamba from a cub. Mike Hodge, pictured with his wife Chrissy, was attacked by a lion at his own safari park on Saturday Credit: Facebook Mike, who relocated from the … She said:"He is very upset about the loss of Shamba and is trying to put on a brave face but he is really battling to come to terms with what happened. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. When Mike was attacked the truck was leaving the compound and a ranger can be seen luring Shamba away so that Mike can get out as usual and open the gate for it to exit. Lion that savaged safari park owner Mike Hodge was SHOT DEAD after attacking Brit expat in enclosure. Maisie Smith pulled over by cops after being caught speeding to Strictly, Mount Etna erupts in Sicily spewing plumes of ash and lava into air, Heartbroken Linda Nolan reveals cancer has spread and she's terrified of dying, No Deal Brexit would leave the EU in shreds — not Britain, Only TWO places in England's top 50 Covid hotspots are in the North, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Mike Hodge, a 67-year-old British expat, was rushed to hospital with injuries to the neck and jaw following the shocking incident caught on film in … Mike Hodge was attacked by the big cat at the Makarele Predator Centre in Thabazimbi, South Africa, seconds after going into its enclosure. Warning shots are heard to try and scare the lion away but when it refuses to leave Mike it is shot dead allowing rescuers to get in and get him to local hospital to be airlifted. Mike and his wife relocated to South Africa in 2003 to create the Marakele Predator Centre. The safari park boss notices Shamba as he walks away sniffing and worrying something on the ground so he takes a few steps after the lion has gone towards it to see what it was. THABAZIMBI, South Africa - The owner of a South African wildlife park is lucky to be alive after he was dragged and mauled by a lion after entering the animal's enclosure. His step-daughter Emma, 29, and wife Chrissy have nursed him back to health and he is now back at home but it will be many more weeks till he will be able to work with his lions. SAFARI park lion attack survivor Mike Hodge has reopened the Marakele Predator Centre where he was viciously mauled live on a tourist video and nearly killed three weeks ago. Mike Hodge was attacked by a lion at the Makarele Predator Centre in Thabazimbi, South Africa. Together they set up the Marakele Animal Sanctuary on a farm 30km from Thabaziambi, northern South Africa, the same year The centre developed from a personal lion project into a tourist attraction in 2010. Who is Mike Hodge? British born Mike, 72, was attacked by Shamba the lion who he had raised since a cub and suffered such severe injuries that he had to be airlifted by air ambulance for life saving surgery. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Lion attack Brit Mike Hodge finally released from hospital after vicious mauling by Shamba the lion – as his South African safari park reopens British born Mike, 72, was attacked by the lion … Photo: supplied. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Onlookers watched as the lion grabbed and dragged him backwards. David Pleydell-Bouverie, 19, from Peters Green, near Luton, Bedfordshire, died when lions attacked his tent on the shores of Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, on 1 August. Mike loves his lions and there is not a person in the world who treats them better” he said. Heartbroken Linda Nolan reveals cancer has spread and she's terrified of dying, Only TWO places in England's top 50 Covid hotspots are in the North, Man stabbed to death and 2 others injured in knife attack outside Debenhams, Princess Beatrice 'caught flouting Covid rules' at posh London restaurant, Vinnie Jones pulls out of charity footie game over arch nemesis Tamer Hassan, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Mike Hodge, a 67-year-old British expatriate, was rushed to hospital with injuries to the neck and jaw following the shocking incident caught on film in South Africa. However the park is currently closed following the attack on Mike. 16 Apr 2019 3 161 303; Share Video. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Makarele Predator Park lion attack: Mike Hodge a British Safari Park owner survives being mauled by a lion as he entered a lion’s enclosure in South Africa. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The lion, born in 2008, had been hand-reared since it … Mike is heard screaming "help me" as it drags him like a rag doll across the ground and shouting "Shamba" at the lion but it does not stop then someone shouts “get a gun”. A wildlife park owner was savagely mauled by a lion in front of screaming onlookers after he entered the animal’s enclosure. Mike Hodge was attacked by a lion at the Makarele Predator Centre in Thabazimbi, South Africa. Mike Hodge, 67, is a British man who relocated to South Africa with his wife Chrissy in 2003. Then the lion pounced and … According to Daily Mail, Mike Hodge, the 72-year-old owner of Marakele Animal Sanctuary in … The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The horrifying footage shows Hodge being pounced on by the lion as he tried to leave through a gate, he was then dragged off towards some bushes. The centre developed from a personal lion project into a tourist attraction in 2010. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. The lion which attacked its owner at a private game reserve near Thabazimbi in Limpopo over the weekend was killed during the incident. VIDEO: Lion brutally attacks wildlife park owner when he enters the enclosure A wildlife park owner was savagely wounded by a lion. Previous visitors and volunteers said that Mr Hodge had long experience with lions, having hand-reared three from cubs. One, a lioness named Nina, even slept on his bed, according to Emerita Abadilla, a former volunteer. The lion park charges adults £7 and children £4 entrance and for an extra £4 tourists can get into a specially made cage on the back of a truck for a close up encounter with lions. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Mike Hodge, … ... Mike Hodge… He was rushed to hospital with injuries to his neck and jaw. Friends of Mike and Chrissy revealed that Emma had been making a fuss of him in hospital and wanted to get him back to their home on the lion sanctuary as soon as possible. Mike Hodge and his wife Chrissy, who had reportedly nursed the lion who later launched the attack. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, Mike relocated with his wife Chrissy to South Africa and opened an animal sanctuary, Mike and Chrissy Hodge run the Marakele Animal Sanctuary which is home to at least a dozen big cats, Moment man is attacked by lion and dragged by the neck into the bush, after the big cat dragged him across the enclosure, Pictures have shown the 67-year-old smiling in his hospital bed, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Distressing footage shows Mike Hodge being attacked by â ¦ DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. â Family and friends are remembering a hairstylist killed in a bizarre crash on I-20 over the weekend. "His entire family are devastated by the loss of Shamba who was bred at the sanctuary and bottle fed by Mike and he was like family to them so this is a double tragedy" she said after the attack. For other inquiries, Contact Us. “The fact of the matter is he was not showboating in the enclosure but was checking out something that had upset the lion when it turned unexpectedly and charged him down. Owner Mike has revealed he was "devastated" at the loss of Shamba, 10, who was shot dead by a park ranger in order to save his life and allow him to be rescued from the enclosure. Bernadette added that although Mike's injuries were "extensive" he would recover fully now that the biggest fear of infection has passed adding:”The prognosis is looking good for him”. Mike and Chrissy founded it in 2003 before it expanded in 2010 to be a tourist attraction and it became the Marakele Animal Sanctuary. Britsh born Hodge, is recovering in hospital with injuries to his neck and jaw. Together they set up the Marakele Animal Sanctuary on … THE British safari park owner who was savaged by one of his own lions is being nursed back to health by his step-daughter Emma. In the same month UK-born lion park owner Mike Hodge, 72, who owned the Marakele Predator Centre in Thabazimbi, north of Johannesburg was attacked by a lion in an enclosure. British born Mike, 72, was attacked by the lion he had raised since a cub and suffered such severe injuries that he had to be airlifted by air ambulance for life saving surgery. Visitors to the sanctuary are able to watch the animals being fed and get up close and personal with the big cats in the "lion mobile". Following the success of the park, the three Brits created the Predator Centre within […] 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 … This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The lion was wandering around its enclosure at Makarele Predator Centre in South Africa before the attack. 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