Leopard Leaves Model Seriously Injured After Attack During Photoshoot
A model has been left seriously injured after being mauled by a leopard at a retirement home for show animals in Germany, according to reports.
The model, named as Jessica Leidolph, by the German tabloid Bild, reportedly entered an enclosure at the privately-owned retirement home in Nebra, in the country's eastern Saxony-Anhalt region on Tuesday, according to the publication.
Once inside with leopards Troy and Paris, one suddenly attacked the 36-year-old model, from Thuringia in central Germany, leaving her with serious head injuries, according to the publication.
According to Welt, police said Leidolph was taken to a specialty clinic where she was treated for her injuries.
They did not provide further information about Leidolph's current condition.
Police issued a statement that there was no wider threat to residents living close to the Seniorenresidenz für Showtiere (retirement home for show animals).
It is unclear why Leidolph entered the enclosure and also who organized the photoshoot, and whether the two leopards were part of it.
On her model page, Leidolph describes herself as an "active animal rights activist" and that she would be happy to shoot with living animals as long as it does not bring "unnecessary stress" on them.
Newsweek has contacted Leidolph and the owner of the privately-owned animal retirement home, Birgit Stache for comment.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Germany branch said the attack showed the "keeping of big cats must be banned."
Dr. Yvonne Würz, of PETA Germany, added: "In the alleged sanctuary, leopards are abused for dangerous photoshoots. The compulsion to which the animals are exposed can be discharged in a sudden attack.
"Tragedies like this can only be prevented in the future if wild animals such as leopards, tigers, or lions are no longer locked in tiny enclosures for entertainment purposes. Showing off big cats poses a permanent threat to employees and the public."
She added: "They suffer greatly from being kept in captivity. The animals have no business in zoos or circuses. In the future, big cats should only be allowed to be kept in recognized rescue centers where they are not exploited for commercial reasons."
PETA Germany also said it is calling for stricter laws in the country to prohibit keeping big cats in animal parks, zoos and circuses, with the exception of what it calls "real rescue centers."
The attack on the model comes after a Florida man was mauled by a jaguar when he stuck his arm into a pen at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in July.
