Aug. 26 (UPI) — German police are investigating an animal attack in which a model was injured by a leopard during a photo shoot, officials said.
The 36-year-old model received head injuries in the attack, which occurred at a retirement home for show animals. The photo shoot was scheduled for Tuesday at the facility in Nebra.
The woman was attacked by a leopard named Troja when she entered the enclosure. Officials said she was bitten several times around her face several times.
Troja is one of two leopards at the facility. Officials said the animal is 16 years old, but it wasn’t immediately reported what type of leopard Troja is.
German authorities are now investigating the attack and the leopards’ handler, the DPA news agency reported.
Legally, residents in Germany are allowed to keep leopards, but veterinarians must determine whether their accommodations meet legal requirements.
“There is no scenario in which entering a space with a big cat is going to be 100% safe, even if it’s been hand-raised,” conservation biologist Imogene Cancellare said, according to The Daily Express.
“At the end of the day … there is nothing you can do to make a tiger or lion or jaguar love you enough to overcome its predatory instincts that can turn on a dime.”
Nebra is located about 110 miles southwest of Berlin.