Mike Hodge, who founded the Marakele Animal Sanctuary in Thabazimbi, South Africa, was surrounded by lions and tigers that he had looked after for many years, just as he was with Shamba, a lion that he had reared from a cub.On one occasion Mike noticed a strange odour within Shamba’s enclosure. Since the smell seemed to be disturbing the 10-year-old lion, Mike decided to go and investigate.As Mike looked around the area, another ranger attempted to distract Shamba so that he could leave the enclosure safely. It was standard procedure, but things went very wrong.Shamba was far more interested in Mike than in the distraction; when Mike came near the door of the enclosure the lion suddenly turned his attention to him.Mike was just a few feet from him, his back visible. At that moment, Shamba jumped on him, bit into the back of Mike’s neck and pulled him away as if he were a rag doll.The attack was terrifying, but Mike wasn’t entirely by himself since there were other people around who immediately responded to the situation.Shamba was ultimately shot and killed, which enabled Mike to be rescued. He was then airlifted to a hospital in Johannesburg where his injuries were treated.Mike had a broken jaw as well as a number of cuts. He afterwards stated that he had 17 puncture wounds, one of which was quite deep and located in his back.Though Mike did survive, the loss of Shamba was very painful. Since Shamba had been a part of his life when it was a cub, the experience was particularly hard to deal with.The attack also showed that a wild animal which seems to be familiar can just as quickly become dangerous. Animals which have grown up around people can still have strong instincts and behave in an unpredictable manner.It is important to remain calm and to avoid making sudden movements if you come across a lion, since turning your back on it or running could provoke a chase response, lions being able to attain speeds of about 50 mph (80 km/h).When a lion attacks it may be necessary to protect your neck and fight back; aiming at the face could help keep the animal from attacking, although it is an extremely dangerous thing to do if you are facing a fully grown lion that weighs hundreds of pounds.The best thing to do is to avoid coming across the situation. By staying at a distance, remaining vigilant, and adhering to the safety instructions, you can greatly reduce the chance of being attacked.Mike’s case is a bitter lesson in the fact that familiarity doesn’t make a wild animal behave in a predictable way; a lion which had previously appeared to be part of his family could suddenly turn out to be a threat capable of causing life-changing injuries within a matter of seconds.