Bitten by lion - GP?

[BittenByLion]

Long story short, I’ve just got back from abroad and while I was there I got bitten by a lion. It’s not a serious bite but it did break the skin. The bite was on Monday, it’s healing nicely and there’s no sign of infection but do I need to do anything? Tetanus jab etc.? I gave it a wash at the time but haven’t had any medical attention.

NC’ed cos this is pretty identifying but I’ve been here yonks. Poo on the pouffe, garlic thread worms, pan pipe elf mum, minge etc.

Dh tells me I need to add that he was once bitten by a dolphin. I laughed.

I tripped over a chicken once. I grazed my knee and needed a plaster.

A monkey pulled my hair once.

Here is a quote from the owners of the place the OP went:
“We do admit that if cubs are needed for cub interaction, we sometimes remove the cubs from their mothers. This is obviously stressful for the mother and we regret that it is necessary. But the ultimate question that needs to be asked is: “Is the short-term stress for the mother more important than possibly closing down a major tourist facility with the serious consequences mentioned above”?
Disgusting.

If only minor injury then you would be Amber rabies risk which if your haven’t had any pre exposure injections then 4 injections will be needed. Government guidelines can be found here. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/720075/PHE_guidelines_on_rabies_post-exposure_treatment.pdf

I was peed on by a lion cub when I was 12. 🦁

I hadn’t thought of rabies. I’ll give 111 a call

I'm very much of the 'leg dropping off should I go to A&E' ilk - but rabies? I'd be camping out at A&E. Rabies is Not Pleasant.

Whilst I don’t like the idea of the activity, is there any point haranguing the OP for it now? It’s done, she’s admitted she’s done more research into it and not liked what she’s found. She can’t exactly demand a refund nor can she undo visiting the place. It’s not the question she asked (which, by the way, I was sure was a piss take ) and I’m sure having read more about the place that she doesn’t feel that great about having supported it. Continuously picking away at her isn’t going to help anyone now is it?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/rabies/ Advice here.

I don't think leaving it to 111 is necessarily the best course of action especially as they might think you're taking the piss

I genuinely think that it's worth attending A&E with the photo on your phone to show them it's not a pisstake.

I got picked up by a horse once as a child (bit through my clothes and into my back, picked me up in its mouth and walked off with me) and carried across its paddock. Not in a hurry to repeat the experience!

For the love of God. Pleass records the conversation with 111

"Hello 111 your talking to Trudy how may I help you?"

"Hello yes, I've been bitten by a lion. What's your protocol?"

^ made me giggle lots!

By the way, one of my DDs was beaten up by a lamb and got nibbled by an Eagle Owl and the other had her pigtails undone by a young Rhea that ate her hairbands. I, on the other hand, only had an 18 hand Shire Horse slurp my hand into the back of its mouth and nibble my fingers when I was in the Brownies.

These petting places are dangerous, I tell you.

How about phoning one of the Schools of Tropical Medicine?

Don't do this. I used to work in the library and we used to get a few calls like this, as it was the main publically-accessible phone number. This included the woman who went on at very great length about her insect bite without letting me get a word in edgeways so I could point out we were the library, not medics. I used to know the number for the Hospital for Tropical Diseases off by heart because of callers like this whom we couldn't help.

I think calling 111 was probably the best call.

I wouldn't be too worried if it's healing well. I was scratched by a cheetah in similar circumstances in Africa, and was just really careful about keeping the wound clean and checking for signs of infection.

Part of me is still a bit disappointed about how well it healed and how unnoticeable the scar was. It still shows a little when I'm really hot or really cold, but probably no one else would notice, or recognise how I bravely wrestled a wild animal off me. (I didn't. She was an orphan who had been raised by humans so couldn't be released into the wild, and she climbed up on my lap. I was sitting quite high up, and she dug her claws in to get a better grip, like any cat would. But with much bigger claws than a domestic cat.)

I hope when you tell this story years from now you change it from being accidentally nipped by a lion cub to hand wrestling a full grown lion in the wild and watching away with nothing more than a small scar on your arm -I would-

Seriously though I’d go to an urgent care centre / minor injury unit for a tetanus injection and make sure you mention rabies so that they don’t miss it as it’s a pretty unusual bite.

Wow! Rabies? Animal ethics! Jeeze! This isn't as funny as it seemed it was going to be!

OOH GP should’ve fine. There are post exposure treatments for this sort of thing, but I believe they should be administered ASAP and within a few days of exposure so time is of the essence now.

they should be administered ASAP

Yes - please do it now, I'm a bit worried about you.....

*should BE fine

@NoParticularPattern I’m not sure if that was directed at me or not? I don’t the OP has been harangued. Lots of posters were commenting about how cute the cub is so I wanted to point out the reality of the situation. Obviously it can’t undo her visit but it might make someone else think twice.

OP, I can understand how tempting it must have been to go there and interact with "wild" animals, but I do wish people would avoid places like this so that they'd go out of business.

Here's a review that was posted in March 2019:

*I fell for it, I admit it. We were on safari for 5 days and didn't get to see lions. When I heard there was a place you could pet lion cubs, I was suckered in. Now, along with all of the other reviews that rated Terrible, feel guilty and ashamed I fell for this.

This is a zoo, nothing else, animals penned up and fed. And I wish I could "unread" what they do to the poor lion cubs once they can no longer amuse us humans*

Yes @Madsweeney I’ve been bitten by a dolphin too! It really hurt!

“We do admit that if cubs are needed for cub interaction, we sometimes remove the cubs from their mothers. This is obviously stressful for the mother and we regret that it is necessary.''

''Removed?!'' What, for an hour or so, or permanently??

(not having a go at OP, just shocked at that statement from the park)

OP I know this isn't the point of your post but I felt I had to say something. A few years ago I visited South Africa for the first time and planned to visit a similar place where you get to look after 'abandoned lion Cubs.' Fortunately before we went many experts warned us about these places. I would advise anyone thinking of visiting such a place to watch a programme called 'Blood lions'
It simply is not true that they are Abandoned. I bet you could go all year round and they would always have Cubs. I hope these image will explain.

Brilliant @Morallowground.

I haven't been bitten by anything worse than my kitty. Although her claws are vicious!

Canned lions

Whilst I don’t like the idea of the activity, is there any point haranguing the OP for it now?
It might get the message to anyone else reading the thread who might, at a later stage, consider visiting a place like that, though.