Black leopard mauls man who paid to have pictures taken with it
A US man was mauled by a captive black leopard in a backyard zoo in South Florida, wildlife officials said.
The man paid $150 (AUD$212) for a “full contact experience" with the black leopard, which allowed him to play with it and take pictures, WPLG reported.
A report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the incident happened August 31 in Davie, which is near Fort Lauderdale.
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The leopard lunged as soon as the man entered the enclosure. CNN
The agency charged the owner with allowing full contact with an extremely dangerous animal and was cited for maintaining captive wildlife in an unsafe condition.
The owner runs a licensed animal sanctuary for rare and endangered animals at the home, WPLG reported.
The man's bandaged head after the attack. CNN
The man was attacked as soon as he entered the leopard's enclosure. The injuries were so severe that his scalp was "hanging from his head and his right ear was torn in half," the report said.
He required multiple surgeries, according to the TV station.
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