In Botswana, an elderly lion attacked a sleeping researcher. To escape, the man had to hit the beast in the face, writes the Daily Mail.
The incident took place in early December in the Okavango Delta, where an expedition camp was set up by the Wild Bird Trust, a bird conservation fund. The predator crept up to the tent where 32-year-old Gotz Neef was sleeping and tried to get inside.
The man woke up and saw the imprint of a lion’s face, which rested against the wall of the tent on the other side. “I did not know what was happening outside, and began to call for help, and then with all my might hit the beast in the nose with my fist,” recalls Nif. “Then he attacked me and began to try to bite me and hit me with his paw.”
46-year-old Rainer Von Brandis hastened to help his comrade. He began to throw sticks and elephant excrement at the predator, and then hit him with a piece of wood. After that, another member of the expedition joined the fight, Tomalets Setlabosha threw a flash-bang grenade at the beast, and then ran over him with his jeep. Only after that did the lion surrender and run away. The attack lasted for about five minutes.
After the incident, Nif had a broken arm, and deep scratches from claws covered his skin. The predator’s fangs left 16 stab wounds on his body. To get to the nearest hospital in the city of Maun, he and his comrades had to overcome 80 kilometers. The journey took three hours.