A tourist nearly had his arm ripped off by a lioness after trying to pet it in front of his horrified wife.
Shocking mobile phone footage shows Pieter Nortje reaching into an enclosure through a fence and stroking a lion.
The lion walks away, then Mr Nortje approaches a lioness and pets her head.
But the lioness suddenly bites on to his arm and refuses to let go as she attempts to pull him towards the enclosure.
The 55-year-old can be seen struggling to fight off the big cat but luckily it lets go before doing further damage.
His wife can be heard shouting: "It's biting him, it's biting him!" as the lioness locks its teeth on the mans's forearm.
Family of Brit beheaded by 'Jihadi John' still waiting for his body to be found
Mr Nortje was said to be celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary with his wife, Ilze, at the luxury Tikwe River Lodge in Virgina, Free State Province in South Africa, according to Netwerk 24.
The pair was given a guided tour of the lion enclosure.
He was reportedly rushed to Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein after suffering a septic shock - a life-threatening condition caused by severe infection and requires emergency medical treatment in intensive care.
It's said the survival rate can be between 25 and 50 per cent.
Brit mum held in Dubai after calling ex's wife a horse tells of 'horrendous' ordeal
A spokesman for Tikwe River Lodge said they had been running the lion enclosure tours for six years without any incidents.
The company denied any responsibility for the attack as the spokesman explained: "There are warning signs everywhere. Mr Nortje stuck his hand through the electric fence to touch the lions and was bitten."
A South African game ranger at another park who watched the video said: "The man was lucky that the lioness was probably not hungry or not used to killing live prey outside the wild."
Woman, 28, left with size-B and size-D breasts after 'botched' implants in Turkey
He said lions are pack animals and Mr Nortje could have been killed if other lions joined in.
Last May, a British safari park owner Mike Hodge was mauled by a lion when he entered the enclosure.
The lion, whom he named it as Shamba, was shot dead and Mike had to be rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery.
