American woman killed by lion in South African wildlife park

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A wildlife park in South Africa confirms that an American woman was killed there Monday by a lion.

It happened at the Lion Park, a popular tourist destination where people can drive through large enclosures as lions roam freely.

A park official, Scott Simpson, says the woman and a man who was with her in a car had rolled their windows down, which he says is "strictly against policy."

He says the lion lunged at the woman as she took pictures and bit her through the open window, and that the man was then injured when he tried to punch the lion.

Park staff quickly chased the lion away from the car, and an ambulance was called, but the woman didn't survive the attack.

The woman was not immediately identified. One report said she was 22 years old.

Simpson says there will be a review of safety policies, but that he thinks existing measures are "more than adequate" if they are followed.

He says large signs advise visitors to keep their car windows up, and that drivers who enter the park are handed a piece of paper with the same warning.