Brave soul
lost left arm once
while walking past
a lioness’s cage.
She seized the arm
from between the
bars and damaged it
so badly it had to be
amputated.
Despite that attack,
he became a
renown lion tamer
known as being
bold and
adventurous with
the lions and
cautioned about
being too reckless,
at times turning
his back on them.
On January 3rd,
1872, he fell to the
ground during a
performance with
five large lions.
A black Barbary lion
roared and leaped
upon him and the
four other lions
roared and joined in
mauling Macarte and
ripping off his flesh.
In the audience, men
shuddered and women
fainted at the
terrifying sight.
Eventually and with
great effort, Macarte
was rescued from
the lions, but his flesh
was torn from his bones.
And after the attack of
a quarter of an hour,
Macarte said, “I’m done
for,” and died on the
way to a hospital.
Bob Boyd
