Survivor of lion attack in Aweil East. (Photo: Social Media).

A 50-year-old woman has survived with multiple injuries after being knocked down and attacked by an alleged lion in Aweil East County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, a local health official said.

Malwal-Kon Hospital Director Paulino Piak Zachariah said the incident happened at Gierchok village in Madhol Payam – and the survivor identified only as Akok – is recovering from the wounds in hospital.

Piak explained that the woman was headed for a nearby borehole to fetch water when an alleged lion knocked her down in a vicious attack at dawn on December 25.

He said the animal inflicted deep wounds on Akok by sinking its teeth and claws on her thigh and knees before attempting to drag her to the forest.

The health official narrated that the woman was luckily saved by light rays from a passing truck which scared the lion and enabled her to escape.

“She said she was attacked by a wild animal that knocked her down. The animal is human-like. And bit her on the right side and the buttocks and the part of the lower part,” he narrated.

“The animal wanted to drag her into the bush to eat her then the wild animal stopped when it saw the light of a car and ran away. That is when Aguak ran back to her home.”

According to Piak, the injuries are not currently critical because they were first managed at Lieth-Nohm PHCC in the area.

“Now she is stable, she has sustained wound because she was admitted in the PHCU there for the treatment, but they failed due to the big wound.”

“So they called us on Monday night, and then I sent the ambulance to bring her. I got the wound is infected, and there was a lot of the side of the bite, multiple. And it’s multiple. It starts from the buttock up to the down to the side, near to the knee.”