Jodie Foster recounts lion attack during film shoot - Jodie Foster’s Terrifying Childhood Lion Attack on a 1972 Film Set
Jodie Foster endured a frightening encounter with a lion while filming as a child. The incident occurred on the set of Flucht in die Wildnis (Napoleon and Samantha), released in 1972. She was just eight or nine years old at the time.
The attack happened suddenly during filming. Foster watched as the camera crew scattered as the lion charged. Before she could react, the animal seized her in its jaws.
The lion lifted her off the ground, shook her violently, and held her horizontally in its mouth. Moments later, the trainer intervened, forcing the animal to release her. Foster fell to the ground, suffering deep bite wounds on both sides of her hip. Despite the trauma, she returned to the set after hospital treatment. She even filmed new scenes with the same lion that had attacked her.
The incident left visible scars but did not hinder Foster’s career. She continued acting and later became one of Hollywood’s most respected performers. The film itself remains a lesser-known part of her early work.
