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Nebra in Saxony-Anhalt: A leopard lies in its enclosure
Photo: Tobias Junghannß / dpa
A 36-year-old woman was hospitalized with serious injuries because a leopard bit her in the head during a photo shoot.
Now the model has commented on the accident.
"He bit down, I couldn't look that fast," she told the "Bild" newspaper.
Everything went smoothly during the shoot on Tuesday in Saxony-Anhalt.
Suddenly she found herself on the floor.
The big cat had "bitten again and again, in the cheek, in the ear, and again and again in the head," said the woman.
She screamed and tried to push the animal away from her, said the 36-year-old.
At some point the leopard let go of her - after which she was able to leave the cage.
The next thing she noticed was the arrival of the emergency doctor and the rescue helicopter.
According to »Bild«, the photo shoot took place as part of a series of pictures for a calendar.
The injured woman is said to be an animal rights activist herself.
Investigation of suspected negligent bodily harm
The scene of the accident is a "senior citizens' residence for wild animals" near Nebra in the Burgenland district.
More big cats are to be housed on the more than 850 square meter area, including former show animals.
How it came to the attack of the leopard on the woman is still unclear, a police spokesman had said last.
The person responsible for the wild animal is being investigated on suspicion of negligent bodily harm.
The owner of the leopard, an animal trainer, says she does not want to comment.
Animal rights activists are calling for stricter laws
According to the district, the keeping of leopards does not require a permit.
It is only up to the veterinary office to regularly check the animal-law requirements for housing.
In addition, the construction of an enclosure is subject to approval by the district.
This permit was already granted in 2019 when the animals moved in.
Subsequent security checks - most recently on August 18, 2021 - were reportedly without any objections.
The animal rights organization Peta called for stricter laws after the attack.
Big cats should only be allowed to be kept in recognized rescue centers, in which they are not "exploited for commercial reasons," demanded Peta on Wednesday.
The keeping and display of dangerous wild animals is not uniformly prohibited in Germany.
Stricter laws are necessary.
ptz / dpa / AFP