A man was attacked by a melanistic leopard and has sustained severe injuries to his head when he visited a private zoo in Florida, USA.
Dwight Turner paid $150 (R2,439) for a ‘full contact experience’ with the leopard that is kept in an enclosure in the backyard of a home in Florida. The owner, Michael Poggi calls himself an ‘exotic animal breeder’ and calls his home a ‘private animal sanctuary.’
According to Insider, the 50-year-old victim had to spend a week in the intensive care unit in hospital and will have to undergo multiple surgeries to his head.
The illegal ‘experience’ included playing with, taking pictures, and rubbing the belly of the big cat.
Poggi’s attorney told Local10 that Poggi was licenced to own and keep the leopard as a pet, but that he has since been charged for allowing the public full contact with an extremely dangerous animal, which is illegal.
‘It is far too common for small zoos and quasi-sanctuaries in Florida to sell photo ops, play sessions, or other ‘interactions’ with exotic animals.
Both people and animals are put in harm’s way when the public comes into direct contact with captive wild animals,’ the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida said.
Picture: Unsplash/Unrelated
