Stunning Photos: British Woman Mauled by ‘Tame’ Cheetah in South Africa
- Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:38pm by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
Just yesterday we showed you how instinctual zoo animals can get when a baby boy wearing a black and white striped hoodie sat near the glass enclosure to a lion’s cage at a Portland, Ore., zoo. Lucky for the boy, Plexiglas protected him from the pawing animal. A British woman on vacation in South Africa was not so lucky.
Violet D'Mello with one of the cheetahs before she was attack. (Photo: Archie D'Mello via Daily Mail)
The Daily Mail reports Violet D’Mello, 60, was visiting the game reserve Kragga Kamma – more specifically an area where visitors were welcomed into an enclosure to pet tamed cheetahs named Mark and Monte. One moment a cheetah was quietly letting her pet it and in the next it was attacking her. Here’s more on what she experienced:
Mrs D’Mello, who was rushed to hospital after the incident, said: “It was terrifying and happened so quickly.
“One minute I was in the enclosure with the cheetahs and the next it was biting at my head.
“I was thrown to the ground and had to play dead while it mauled my legs and stomach.”
A guide at the game park in the Indian Ocean town of Port Elizabeth managed to pulled the second cat off Mrs D’Mello, but even as he did so, the first cheetah rejoined the fray, pining the Scot to the ground and biting and gouging her legs.
The Daily Mail goes on to report that it took a group of tourists to free D’Mello from the wildcats. D‘Mello’s husband who was outside the enclosure took photos of the attack.
(Photo: Archie D'Mello via Daily Mail)
(Photo: Archie D'Mello via Daily Mail)
Park Manager Mike Cantor took D’Mello and other visitors needing medical attention to the hospital for stitches and antibiotics. Cantor is reported as saying he had raised the cheetahs as cubs and found their behavior surprising:
“I have grown up with these cheetahs and they are not aggressive animals. It is almost like they wanted to play with the woman.What happened was that a young girl got a bit uptight and then ran away and the cheetah grabbed her by the leg.
“The trouble is that cheetahs, like dogs, don’t have retractable claws and so they would have injured as they did so. The other lady [Mrs D'Mello] went in to assist and the cheetahs probably thought it was a play time.
“It was a very busy at the park that day, which may have aggravated them somewhat.”
The month-long tour for the couple was a birthday present from Mr. D’Mello to his wife that ended up becoming what she called a “nightmare.” The Daily Mail reports that doctors treating D’Mello told her she could have lost her eye and was lucky to be alive.
(Photo: Archie D'Mello via Daily Mail)
The couple said they were angry over the incident because they “were told the situation was safe and it obviously wasn’t.”
The Times Live reports Centre for African Conservation Ecology director Graham Kerley as saying animals in captivity such as this should never be considered “tame pussycats:”
“They are wild, and should be considered dangerous.”
Kerley said that it is commonly known that cheetah are more likely to respond aggressively to small-bodied animals (such as children) than they are to adults, and warned parents against having their children in close proximity to these cats.
“The bottom line is, cheetah are wild animals, and adult cheetah have the capacity to hurt very badly,” he said.
For now, the couple is reported as continuing their vacation after the incident, which occurred Saturday, but at another game park.
The Daily Mail reports Kraggar Kamma considers the situation a “freak incident” and will evaluate letting people into the enclosure again with the cheetahs in time.
Read more details of D‘Mello’s thoughts on the attack and see more photos here.
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 586 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 413 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 412 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 375 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 370 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 412 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 413 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 370 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 151 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 303 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 412 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (143)
TXVET48
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:28pmGuess she‘s lucky that cheetahs don’t like the taste of stupid.
Report Post »iampraying4u
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:50pmEven a dog you dont get behind them you dont get over them she did both
Report Post »biggreenboo
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:55pm@TXVET… Best line of the day. Thank you, have a great weekend.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 2:07pmHow’s that Compassion for Animals… working for you today?
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 2:22pmI like Cheetos instead!
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 3:57pmThat sounds right. Lol.
Report Post »jeffersonian1776
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 8:26pm@LUKERW, you said, “How’s that Compassion for Animals… working for you today?” I’m not quite sure what you mean by such an asinine remark, but it sounds like you are probably one of those tough guys we’re all too familiar with who loves to abuse animals, just to watch them suffer. I may be wrong, but a comment like that leads people to wonder.
Report Post »Are you one of those tough guys who likes to show all them stupid freaking animals their rightful place behind humans in this world? Do you teach them a lesson for being lesser creatures?
Uranium Wedge
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 8:42pmOh my god… A cheetah behaving like a cheetah
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 8:51pm@Jeffersonian1776
I believe everyone should stop using the degrading word “animal” and start referring to it as the “A” world instead. Please refrain from using that demeaning term. Thank you.
Report Post »Wolf
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 9:16pm@ Jefferson… don’t be an idiot, Jeff- are you the only person who doesn’t understand what he meant? “How’s that compassion working for you today?” A direct comment to fools who think wild animals are just like Disney portrays them, only to learn that truth is totally different.
Report Post »Oh… you were being sarcastic. DUH- you can go back to watching Bambi now.
Nathaniel Horn
Posted on May 5, 2012 at 12:32pm“were told the situation was safe and it obviously wasn’t.” Well, just duh, lady. God gave you brains; maybe you ought to use ‘em. That’s just brilliant; get into a cadge with undomesticated predators. And how about this deeply concerned husband? Snapping vacation pics while your wife is being mauled to death??! WTF? We ‘need’ global collapse of the monetary system so that people like this can be ‘naturally selected’. This ‘modern’ civilization has produced Liberals and morons who want others to do their thinking for them by the millions. Something has gotta change.
Report Post »kirsten82
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:18amThis compassion for animals is making me a bit sick. You’re talking about 2 cubs who were hand reared instead of starving to death, who are quite happy in their environment and well looked after. How many tourists go in there per day, I don’t know, but neither do you! And this criticism of a woman who simply walked into an enclosure for 5 minutes to get er photo taken, (under the terms that the company had effective safetly policies) with an amazing animal, not a disney character (she would have gone to Disneyland for that) is coming from people from a nation who support RODEO, one of the most disgusting practices on the planet. If you’re wanting to campaign for animal rights, you‘re barking up the wrong bloody tree I’m afraid!
Report Post »kirsten82
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:28amIf you want to talk about animal rights I think you should stop focusing on 2 cheetah cubs who were handreared instead of being left to starve to death and instead, if you really want to campaign for animal rights, start by looking at your own beloved country which supports rodeo, one of the most cruel practices on the plant.
Report Post »kirsten82
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 8:31amOh my original post DID work then, unlike others. A pity I don’t get to say what I REALLY think on here. Most of it gets deleted, you can work out why.
Report Post »djmaine
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:26pmCheck out the first picture…The animal is licking his chops prior to his meal. “ummm, I like how it feels when my dinner pats me on the head before I eat it…I love my chain link environment.”
Report Post »Darla_K
Posted on May 5, 2012 at 10:53amAs much as I like animals I would never get up close to a cheetah.
Report Post »LadyAlexandrite
Posted on May 5, 2012 at 11:42amI look at the first picture and see the ears, those look like the ears of an irritated cat to me and the eyes seem to show the same attitude. I would be suprised if this critter wasn‘t twitching it’s tail when the first picture was being taken.
Report Post »CloudNine
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:23pmThe woman was naive believing a Cheetah is tame. Got what she deserved.
Report Post »jhaydeng
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 8:05pmagreed
Report Post »jas0707
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:23pmServes her right.
Report Post »kirsten82
Posted on May 7, 2012 at 7:21amServes her right?…. to nearly have her eye torn out etc for simply trying to enjoy a holiday and go into an enclosure that is meant to be guarded by big cat experts? Sadistic ****! So if you die in some freak accident then this will mean you deserved it? Unless there was zero risk in what you were doing at the time. Because I’m sorry, the risks here were pretty low, or this would have happened before to the thousands of other tourists who will have entered that pen. And you can only judge her if you take no risks in life, which would make you a bloody robot. Although robots would be nicer than people who vent all this venomous bile about nice people online.
Report Post »American Mensch
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:21pmWait a minute. His wife is being mauled by two cheetahs, and hubby busies himself with photographing the event. Wow, what a guy. I am pretty sure if I saw my husband being chewed on by a large, angry cat, my first instinct would be to go over and assist him anyway I could. There may be more to this story, but what I have read so far doesn’t make Mr. D’Mello look too good.
Report Post »REBELWITHACAUSE
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 3:23pmThose were my sentiments exactly… The dear “hubby” would be going home alone if he was mine.
Report Post »BrownWaterVet
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 4:02pmHe was taking the pictures to help boost their massive lawsuit.
Semper Fortis
Report Post »TexOkie
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 6:16pmHad to have been the husband’s idea to go to the park. Didn’t quite work out like he planned. I would check to see if he purchased additional life insurance on his wife before leaving on that trip.
“I know honey, let’s go swim with the crocks. You first.”
Report Post »USAMama
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 11:58pmI thought the same thing!! Other visitors ran to her rescue and put themselves in harms way to rescue her while her HUSBAND stood by and TOOK PICTURES?!?! Wow….. I don’t even know what else to say, I’m speechless….
Report Post »Bluefish49
Posted on May 5, 2012 at 2:50amI saw the video…very disturbing…especially due to her husband yelling ” No you stupid cat, bite her head off not her leg” …oh great now both of them are biting her legs….can’t you bring in some smarter f$%king house cats or something….really….snap….snap.
Report Post »4xeverything
Posted on May 5, 2012 at 7:09amThey did say that they are a British couple. Didn’t we learn that taking pictures while someone is dying is what the Brits do. I’m talking about the man who drowned in 3 ft of water while people watched for over an hour.
Report Post »jharper
Posted on May 6, 2012 at 11:05amI wonder what his friends and family will think when he shows them the photo album and describes how he kept taking the photos. I hope her first errand when she gets stateside is to a good divorce attorney.
Report Post »Stu D. Baker-Hawk
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:19pmThere’s a reason why they call them WILD animals… I have three dogs in my household who are the most loving animals I can imagine, but do I trust them 100 percent not to revert, for whatever reason, to their wild animal natures? Nope.
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:17pmFor now, the couple is reported as continuing their vacation after the incident, which occurred Saturday, but at another game park.???—–What are they trying for? video because pictures are so out of fashion?
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:14pmPETA is suing, one of the cheetahs cracked a tooth.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:11pmAllow me to explain: Wild animails such as a cheetah are WILD in name for a reason; no can be tamed – predatory animal who hunts and strikes to kill by crushing neck and spine – as in case with the lady in the picture (that is the grip it has on her).
Understand clearly, the cheetah acted as wild cats do.
Report Post »tbo
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:11pmThe cheetah was only playing….
Playing with its food.
Report Post »bigdaddyt46
Posted on May 5, 2012 at 4:07amcheetah hunting and biting a cougar????
Report Post »JoeKing
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:09pmaaaaHHHHaaaaHHHHaaaaHHHHaaaa!!!!
Report Post »This is the greatest story ever! She’s mad because they told her it was safe! Her husband continued to take pictures!
mdbd
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:46pmHusband: get in the pen honey & lay down, start yelling, I’ll film it & we will sue the he!! out of them or… he has a girlfriend or… (too bad she got hurt as well as the ones who helped her, but she should have known better)
Report Post »GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
Posted on May 5, 2012 at 1:01amI’d fully understand the husband passivity if it was his mother in law….
Report Post »SoCalWalt
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:05pmTwo words: Charles Darwin.
Report Post »Mainer forever
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 2:19pmOMG spit out my coffee reading THAT one!!! Good One. Thanks for the Laugh!!!
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:04pm…
Report Post »Look at the intense faces of those cats. It was not play time. It was kill time.
There is no way to completely tame a wild animal.
Their natural instincts will always kick in, at some point in their lives.
LeadNotFollow
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:03pm…
Her husband took photos, as his wife was being mauled by big cats???
Report Post »He should have thrown down the camera and ran to her rescue.
Other bystanders were probably taking plenty of photos.
Time to get a new husband.
RamonPreston
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:03pmMy best friend’s niece is on the way home from South Africa right now. She is studying cheetahs and she says cheetahs only have one thing on their minds: How can they get you in there and do you in.
Wild animals will always be wild animals.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:02pmHow stupid do you have to be – NO wild animal is tame! I don’t care if you raised them from babies. Sigfried and Roy can tell you this. It only takes an instance to become the target.
Report Post »cranberry
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:01pmits a wild animal. Its an animal, period. Its not a human. you can‘t reason with something that can’t understand English for goodness sake! Dont put yourself into this situation and it wont happen to you. No such thing as a TAME wild animal, are you kidding me? Respect them and leave them alone.
Report Post »SovereignSoul
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:24pmHow true. I”ve often tried to reason with people who only understand French or Spanish. There is just no getting through to those animals!
Report Post »(Legal disclaimer: the above comment is classified as sarcasm. It is in no way intended as an ethical or moral judgment concerning “foreign” languages.)
Pearsontech
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:01pmI’m sorry but everyone involved here in this situation is an idiot and a moron.
Report Post »The husband stood outside while it was all going on and was taking pictures???? REALLY are you serious!!!
The lady and the husband for thinking it would be safe and ok to go into a cage with a wild animal. HELLO you people it doesn’t matter if the animal was raised in captivity around people all its life it is still a wild animal and there is not way to say that it will always be docile and never attack anyone ITS A WILD ANIMAL!!
The part for there completely idiotic reponses to the incident. Being all stupid and shocked that these animals would have ever attacked someone.
The country that this park is in for allowing a place like this to even exist.
The stupidity and the insanity in this whole situation is just mind blowing…
Ok now with all that out. I really do hope that this lady is ok and l am sorry that this happened to her. Sometimes humans are too stubborn to learn without something bad happening first. I hope she learns from this experience and that she will be able to heal emotionally and physically.
Best_Patriot
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:57pmOWS = Cheetah, TEA = that woman
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:02pmYou mean cheetah, Tarzan’s chimp?
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:27pmLet’s see…we’re in a thread for a story about a cheetah mauling a woman. I know that tea party “patriots” are new to the internet and everything but still, you can figure it out, I have faith in you buddy.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:34pmI don’t have much faith in you if you think those turds at OWS are going to eat the Tea Party. Or if you think the Tea Party is a dumb as that woman. Explain yourself.
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:46pm@Gonzo, OWS eating Tea Party, Tea Party eating OWS…I prefer to think of the two groups as forming a “human centipede” (google it if you must…)
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 2:12pmIf you can look at both groups and see any similarity, you are Tarzan’s chimp.
Report Post »MrSunshine
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 3:13pmHey Gonzo, if you see Best_Patriot tell him that his buddy Beavis is looking for him. It’s almost time for his after snack time nap.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:55pm…and in other news, woman posing with King Cobras horribly bitten…here’s John with the weather…
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:27pmlol
Report Post »Frodo RinosBane
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:54pmOnce they get the scent of blood, watch out!
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:50pmDidn’t eat her cause her body was infested with HORRIBLE british food…..
Report Post »Reynaldo
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:50pmAnd the Darwin Award goes to…
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:48pmPlaying………sure………they are, have been and always will be wild animals.
By the way lady………dump the picture taking hubby. He should have been trying to save your life not gathering evidence for the lawsuit.
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:54pmMy thoughts exactly! What the heck was he thinking?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:06pmYes .. no such thing as a “tame” wild animal. Sad that everyone is so busy taking pics and video .. they have lost their humanity. Even worse it was her own husband.
Report Post »huey6367
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 12:48pmThere is no such thing as a tame cheetah. They are wild animals even if they are raised by a person from birth. When are people going to learn this? They act on instinct not acts of kindness. A dog will do the same thing at times however dogs have been domesticated by humans. Put them in the wild and they become wild again.
Report Post »Balpit
Posted on May 4, 2012 at 1:29pmI once thought a “tamed” (you can never truly tame a wild animal) cheetah would be friendlier towards people than, say, a lion or a tiger. On the plus side, she‘s lucky it wasn’t a lion or a tiger, as they’re far more likely to kill an adult human than a cheetah.
Report Post »