A conservationist and gild owner was mauled to death past ii 400lb white lions later the animals "had a falling out" while wrestling and turned on him.

The big cats, named Tanner and Demi, attacked dad-of-4 West Mathewson, 69, in front of his horrified wife Gill during "rough play" while taking them for their daily walk.

Brave Gill tried to distract the lions and alerted neighbours, just by the time paramedics arrived at Tree Top Guild in Hoedspruit, in South Africa's Limpopo Province, there was nothing that could be done to save W.

Westward is the second person to be due afterward beingness attacked by the rescued lionesses. They mauled a local homo subsequently escaping their enclosure in 2017.

He saved them from a savage death when he bought them from a park where lions are bred until they are onetime enough to be shot for cash by bays hunters.

Society owner West Mathewson with his white lions Tanner and Demi (

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The five-twelvemonth-old lions, which were regularly taken on walks with children and guests at West's farm, were tranquilised and moved to another game lodge in the surface area after killing him.

The panthera leo keeper died after a game of wrestling with two lionesses "got a flake rough", the Times reported.

West was playing with Demi and Tanner when "instincts got the better of one of them" and he was fatally injured, the written report added.

Due west'southward daughter-in-police force Tehri Mathewson told the newspaper the lions would "definitely non be put down".

West had saved the lionesses from a park where lions are shot by bays hunters (

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The lionesses were calendar week-old cubs when they were rescued by Westward (

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She added: "W loved those cats every bit much as his children and spent much of the day with them every day.

"They didn't hateful him whatever harm and it was simply a tragic accident.

"They volition go on to be loved and protected until the day they leave this earth."

In a separate interview, she told the Telegraph the expiry might take been the outcome of "rough play".

She added: "We have to realise, West was not as young every bit he thought he was. We are even so non sure what happened, but there was very rough play."

She said the lionesses had not tried to swallow her father-in-law.

More than 2,000 visitors had paid to collaborate with the lions at the society.

A family unit friend said: "Westward brought those lions into his life when they were just a week old and he bottle fed them every mean solar day and they were like his children and he loved them.

West bottle fed the lions "every day" after rescuing them, a friend says (

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"He played with them and walked with them for hours every day and thousands of guests interacted with them every yr and they never ever showed any signs of turning.

"Information technology seems Tanner and Demi had a chip of a falling out and West was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and they turned their attention to him and he was severely mauled.

"Gill was following him as he walked with them in her automobile merely there was zip she could exercise but raise the warning but by the time assistance arrived he had already bled out."

Limpopo police force spokesperson Brigadier Motlfela Mojapelo said: "Information technology is believed the two lionesses attacked the deceased during one of their usual walks with their owner.

The lionesses were like children to the social club owner, a friend says

"The incident took identify as his wife was watching helplessly. The constabulary and emergency services were activated but the man was establish with multiple injuries and declared dead.

"The lionesses were darted and moved to some other game lodge in the area."

Affectionately known as "Uncle West", he took visitors to his social club on daily walks with the lionesses and his website shows children playing with the predators in the grounds.

A statement from a spokesperson for the Blood Lions campaign, which opposes captive king of beasts breeding, cub petting and canned hunting industries, said: "Our heartfelt condolences get out to W Mathewson'due south family and friends.

Police say the lions were tranquilised and moved to another lodge in the area (

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"Sadly, this tragic blow is non an isolated example in South Africa'due south captive lion breeding industry.

"Records prove that in the last 10 years at least xl similar incidents accept occurred with a quarter leading to fatalities.

"This only reflects those incidents that take been reported in the media and hence there could be more unreported cases.

"Lions and other big cats, habituated or not, are not domestic animals, just are predators that don't lose their wild instinct."

In 2017, the lionesses mauled a local human being, Justice Cebelchulu, 46, after climbing a tree and leaping over an electrical fence surrounding their chemical compound.

Justice worked at a neighbouring holding and was chopping forest when he was attacked. The lions were scared off by colleagues who pelted them with stones.

Justice lost his fight for life in infirmary days after the attack, although wellness officials said the diabetic died due to "other diseases".

The death could not be attributed to the king of beasts assail, the provincial health department said at the fourth dimension.

Westward faced pressure to euthanise his pets, and he told the media that the lions did not mean to kill Justice and were "only playing".

He blamed Justice, proverb the man fabricated the error of running away from them and that the lions then attacked him.

He said that he raised the lions to both save them from canned hunting where they are put in enclosures so hunters can shoot them dead and to raise awareness of their plight.