Mauled ... several lions were believed responsible for a recent attack which nearly killed an Australian diplomat

Lions maul young Aussie diplomat

By Jim Dickins
April 29, 2007 12:01am

A YOUNG Australian diplomat is recovering at her Canberra home after being rescued from the jaws of lions in Africa.

Gemma Huggins, 27, was set upon by lions on Sunday, March 4, while visiting a Zimbabwean wildlife park.

Ms Huggins was saved by her boyfriend, who managed to scare the animals away and drag her to safety.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade remained silent about the attack, which occurred three days before a plane crash killed four Australian embassy workers and a journalist in Indonesia.

Ms Huggins underwent a series of skin grafts at Pretoria's Unitas Hospital in the weeks after the attack, before returning home last week.

South African surgeons treated Ms Huggins for severe injuries to her head, neck, torso and legs.

One of the lions' teeth came within millimetres of her jugular vein, while a gouging claw narrowly missed her eye.

The horrific incident occurred a month after Ms Huggins took up her first foreign posting at the Australian High Commission in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

Last week, she was still too traumatised to describe the attack, but it is understood several animals were involved.

Her partner, a Canadian citizen who had joined her during the posting, was able to fight them off and rescue her.

The couple had been making a private visit to the Lion and Cheetah Park, 23km outside Harare.

Another foreign diplomat was killed by lions at the same reserve less than two years ago.

According to reports, the 50-year-old Japanese woman died of injuries suffered when a pack of lions attacked her, raising concerns locally about the park's safety standards.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he had respected a request for privacy from the Huggins family.

"I'm very pleased that ... the diplomat in question is on the path to improvement," Mr Downer said through a spokesman.

The department would confirm only that the incident had occurred and that Ms Huggins had received appropriate treatment.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's own travel advice for Zimbabwe warns about the dangers posed by wild animals, saying wildlife-watchers should maintain a "safe and legal distance".

It advises against travelling independently in Zimbabwe and warns that many tour operators have poor safety standards.

Australia maintains formal relations with Zimbabwe, despite imposing sanctions in protest at President Robert Mugabe's poor human-rights record.

Unitas Hospital is highly regarded for the plastic-surgery techniques it has developed to treat victims of machete attacks.

News Limited