Woman mauled to death by lion at private game lodge in South Africa

A woman has been mauled to death by a lioness at a private game reserve in South Africa, say health officials.

The unnamed 22-year-old victim was attacked by a lioness at a reserve in Hammanskraal, a small town in Guateng, north of South Africa's administrative capital Pretoria.

The incident occurred on the Dinokeng Game Reserve, although the circumstances of the woman's death, on Tuesday (27 February), have not been reported.

Paramedics arrived at the scene and tried to revive the woman with CPR with no success, according to Netcare 911, an emergency response health company.

In a statement to local media, Netcare 911 spokesman, Nick Dollman, said paramedics arrived at the lodge just after 11am today.

The statement read: "At approximately 11 h05 on Tuesday, Netcare 911 was called to assist at a game lodge in the Hammanskraal area.

"Reports from the scene allege that a 22-year-old female victim was attacked and mauled by a lioness.

"When Netcare 911 paramedics arrived at the scene, bystanders had initiated CPR. Tragically the victim had sustained severe injuries and she died at the scene."

It was reported that the local constabulary, Cullinan police, visited the lodge to "complete an investigation".

In April last year at the same reserve, a herd of eight elephants broke out of the reserve after a bull elephant broke through an electric fence, News 24 reported.

Dinokeng opened in 2011 and describes itself on its website as the "first free-roaming Big 5 residential game reserve in Gauteng – and probably in the world – next to an urbanised area".

Earlier this month, a man believed to be a poacher was attacked and eaten by a pride of lions close to the Kruger National Park, around 350 miles north east of Dinokeng.

Police said there was hardly anything left of the man's body when it was discovered at a private game park near Hoedspruit in the northern province of Limpopo, alongside a loaded hunting rifle.