Multiple attacks in March and April have prompted conservation groups and the head of South African Tourism to seriously re-evaluate the "wildlife petting" industry. Four attacks on visitors in wildlife enclosures within 10 days were recorded in March. Two occurred at the Emdoneni Lodge in Zululand where a 14-year-old boy from New Zealand and an exchange student from Macau‚ China‚ were attacked by a cheetah. The student‚ Peggy Lio‚ made headlines again last week after a video of the attack surfaced. Emdoneni staff refused to comment on the incidents. This comes as a boy from Johannesburg has reportedly been pronounced brain dead after he was attacked by a tame lion in Lephalale‚ Limpopo‚ this month. The number of incidents has conservation groups increasing pressure on the tourism board to restrict in-cage interaction with wildlife. "This is a real issue because these sorts of attractions have been around for a long time. These attacks are bound to happen‚ and are something we have ...
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