
'I saw a lioness trying to EAT my husband, with his head in its jaws': Heroic wife relives moment she HIT lion in the face in doomed bid to save partner - and says she does not want the animal killed, despite his death
A 'heroic' wife who tried to save her husband after he was attacked and dragged off by a lion has spoken out about the terrifying ordeal for the first time.
Conny Kebbel, 57, was on a wildlife expedition camp in northern Namibia with her businessman husband Bernd, 59, last month when a starved lion pounced on him and killed him.
The father-of-two, who had climbed down a ladder from his rooftop tent mounted on the top of a 4 x 4 to use the bathroom in the early hours of the morning, was suddenly grabbed by the predator - a lioness called Charlie.
The ferocious roar of the animal and the cries of her desperate husband as the lioness grabbed him by the neck and dragged him into the bushes alerted Mrs Kebbel, who was still sleeping in the rooftop tent.
Speaking about her husband's tragic death, Mrs Kebbel described how he had left his tent at around 1.30 am, when she suddenly heard a sound.
'It was as if he was surprised and then a lion [began] growling.
'I looked out of the tent and saw a lioness had grabbed Bernd by his head,' she said as she relived the horror of the attack.
Mrs Kebbel bravely rushed out of the tent and began hitting the lioness in the face with a satellite pole she had ripped off from a vehicle in an attempt to get the wild cat away from her husband.
The 12-year-old lioness is said to have been on her last legs, skeletal and starving
A man who was on the expedition with the couple also rushed to Mr Kebbel's rescue and managed to hit the predator in the head with a small torch, scaring the animal away before it could devour her victim.
But nothing could be done to save the keen outdoorsman who was killed almost instantly in the savage attack.
Charlie disappeared behind the bushes, but she then returned and 'continued to mock charge the group coming in from different directions'.
'Everybody fled into the cars because Charlie was posing a threat to us all', Mrs Kebbel continued.
The tragedy happened during a desert trip in the Kunene Region where a group of six adults and six children travelling in three 4 x 4's had stopped to make camp.
The night after Mr Kebbel's violent death, Charlie attacked another group nearby.
A video was posted on social media of the damage she had caused to their tents as she tried to slash and bite its way inside.
Following the horrific ordeal, officials of the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism shot Charlie dead as she took a break under a bush.
A spokesman said: 'The animal had become habituated and used to humans and was posing an ongoing threat to community members and tourists so a difficult decision was made'.
Conny Kebbel, who shares two children with her late husband, said: 'We are not angry. We have found peace. We did not want Charlie to die. It happened at a place we and Bernd loved.'
A lion expert who has known Bernd and Conny Kebbel for over 10 years hailed her amazing bravery in taking on a lion killing her husband alone and unarmed.
The tour guide who leads expeditions in the NW Namibiian deserts said: 'Conny has become part of folklore as who in their right takes on a lioness and lives.
'It is all anyone is talking about around the bush fires at night.
'She was said to have been screaming at it like a dervish and grabbed its leather collar and was physically hauling this thing more than twice her weight off Bernd.
'Her screams carried to the two other tents and another man bravely joined her in taking on the lioness armed only with a torch and battered it over the head.
'The lioness was shocked at being attacked and retreated but not far and tried to get back to her 'kill' a number of times but was driven back each time it came.
'The only thing they could do was get Bernd aboard a vehicle and away from there.'
The lion expert added that the 'bravery of Conny is all that anyone is talking about right now'.
The 12-year-old lioness is said to have been on her last legs, skeletal and starving.
Photos of the animal taken just weeks before showed her bony body, suggesting she had not killed to feed for a long time.
It is believed that her natural fear of human beings was overcome by hunger and she crept into the camp in which Mr Kebbel and his wife and their friends were camping out in.
Mr Kebbel, who was originally from Germany, was a wealthy philanthropist who had spent large sums of money supporting Namibian desert lions.
He also worked closely supporting the Desert Lion Project with donations and fitting out their research vehicles.
Charlie was part of the three 'famous' orphan cub sisters of the Skeleton Coast who starred in an award-winning documentary on their incredible survival broadcast worldwide.
Namibia has about 800 desert lions left with half in the National Park at Etosha and the rest scattered in the boiling heat and drought of one of the world's most inhospitable areas.
There are about 38,000 free roaming lions left in Africa mostly in conservation areas and the Namibian Ministry of the Environment & Tourist estimates they have just 800 left.
Every year in Africa lions are estimated to kill about 250 people.
Conservation groups are warning tourists only to camp in designated sites managed by the local communities for safety but to also help protect lions like Charlie.
One conservationist said: 'The loss of a human life, an irreplaceable lioness and part of Namibia's tourism and nature legacy, is mourned and may Charlie's story serve as a lasting reminder that true admiration of nature begins with respect and distance'.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Pictured: Wife who died after car plunged 300ft off cliff
The wife of a bus driver who died with her husband when their car plummeted 300ft off a cliff at a beauty spot has been pictured. John and Lynn King died alongside their two Dachshund dogs after driving off a cliff at Alum Bay, close to the Needles on the Isle of Wight, on Friday. Mr King, 66, and 67-year-old Mrs King were found after their Ford Mondeo plunged into the water on the western side of the island. Photographs showed the wreckage of the vehicle in the sea at the foot of the cliff. Mr King had been a network driver for Southern Vectis, the island's bus operator, for two and a half years before his departure earlier this year. Paying tribute, Richard Tyldsley, its general manager, said: 'We are saddened to learn of this tragic event, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.' Lee Bridle, a fellow bus driver who worked with Mr King in Hampshire, said: 'Such sad news announced today that former work colleague John and his wife Lynn King tragically passed away. May you now both be at rest together, with deepest condolences to your family, friends and work colleagues. R.I.P.' George Gibson, another bus driver, added: 'He was a true friend to me during my low times. I'll miss them both.' Police, fire crews, ambulances and coastguard teams were all deployed to the crash site at Alum Bay at around 7.20pm. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said the vehicle had been driving on the road that leads to The Needles, one of Britain's best-known coastal landmarks. As part of the police investigation into the incident, the force said an address in Cowes had been searched by officers. A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: 'Formal identification procedures are ongoing, but next of kin have been notified. A post-mortem examination will take place on Tuesday June 10. 'As part of the ongoing investigation into the incident, which has been referred to the coroner, officers have been carrying out enquiries at an address on Arctic Road, Cowes, to help them to establish what happened.' A one-day yacht race around the Isle of Wight, named The Round the Island Race, still went ahead on Monday, with the boats passing Alum Bay.


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bicester Motion fire: investigation work concludes on site
The scene of a fire in which two firefighters and a member of the public died, has been handed back to its operator, police have Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, along with father-of-two Dave Chester, 57, were killed in the blaze that engulfed a hanger on the Bicester Motion site on 15 other firefighters suffered serious injuries - one remains in hospital in a stable condition and the other has been Valley Police said police, fire and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation work at the scene had concluded and it had been handed back to its operator, Bicester Motion. The force said it was still being treated as an unexplained death the scene watch had been lifted, a cordon remained in place to prevent public access. Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray said: "Our thoughts will always be with the loved ones of Jennie Logan, Martyn Sadler and Dave Chester, as well as the injured firefighters, following this tragic incident."This remains an unexplained death investigation and is being led by our Major Crime Unit, who continue to work with fire investigators and the Health and Safety Executive to ascertain the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the sad deaths of Jennie, Martyn and Dave. The fire was reported at about 18:30 BST on 15 May and rapidly spread through a former aircraft hangar at the site on Buckingham Road, and a major incident was fire and rescue crews were called to tackle the blaze as witnesses reported seeing black smoke in the tribute after the fire, the family of Mr Sadler, who previously worked for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) and was also part of London Fire Brigade, said being a firefighter was "always in his blood", adding that he was "the true definition of a hero".The family of Ms Logan said her "bravery and fearlessness shone through right until the end".Mr Chester's family described him as "Bicester born and bred" with a "quirky sense of humour".Bicester Motion is home to more than 50 specialist businesses, focused on classic car restoration and engineering on the former site of RAF was home to RAF Bomber Command in World War Two and became redundant in 2004. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.


Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Austria school shooting live: Police give first details of attacker after multiple students killed in attack
Ten people, including the gunman, have died after a school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz. Follow the latest here.