When 50-year-old Dwight Turner paid $150 for a “full-contact experience” with a black leopard, he probably did not think the experience would land him in the hospital.
However, the Florida man said he was in the emergency room of a hospital for a week after the female leopard called Dasha nearly tore him to shreds.
Turner was rushed to the hospital on August 31 after the leopard pounced on him, leaving him requiring several surgeries.
He had paid $150 to be allowed into the big cat’s enclosure at the home of its owner, Michael Poggi.
Poggi has a Facebook page saying he runs an animal sanctuary for rare and endangered animals.
The home is located in Earnest Bouvelard, Davie in Florida.
Investigators said Turner’s deal with the leopard’s owner was to “play with it, rub its belly and take pictures”.
But the big cat nearly made a meal of him immediately he stepped into the enclosure: it tore out one of his eyes and ripped apart his scalp.
So severe was the injury that skin was said to be “hanging from his head and his right ear was torn in half.”
Images showed the victim’s head completely wrapped in bandages after he underwent multiple surgeries as a result of the attack.
Read Also: Kanye West Gifts Kim Kardashian Dad’s Hologram
Despite having a license to own the leopard, Poggi has been charged with allowing full contact with an extremely dangerous animal and was cited for maintaining captive wildlife in an unsafe condition.
Leave a Reply