Apparently kitty just needed some skritches.
A cattle herder survived being pinned down by a lioness for 30 agonizing minutes by treating the beast like a house cat and giving it a little affection.
Kalubhai Boghabhai Gamara was minding his own business in Gujarat on India’s west coast when the lion was suddenly upon him, badly mauling him and leaving him fearing for his life.
After knocking him to the ground, she kept him pinned beneath her massive front legs, toying with him as horrified bystanders looked on, some of whom tried to help by lobbing rocks at the big cat, but the predator was undeterred.
As he lay there helpless and covered in blood, the lioness flashed her razor-sharp teeth at him several times, heightening the terror in the caught-on-camera pin down.
In a desperate bid for freedom, Gamara tried stroking the lion’s fur, which appeared to do the trick as the animal suddenly let him up and retreated to a nearby forest on its own.
“I was going to feed my cattle when the lioness suddenly attacked me from behind and pulled me down, Gamara said in an interview with local media.
“She caught hold of my hand and did not let me go for a long time.”
The man’s family said he sustained injuries, including wounds to his neck, head, back, and a fractured left arm. He’s currently in the hospital recovering from the ordeal.
The forest department has launched a search effort to capture the lioness that attacked the herder, according to local reports.
Gujarat’s Kathiawar peninsula is the only remaining natural habitat for Asiatic lions, with nearly 900 in the Indian state.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
