Chappell had worked on several American productions including Game of Thrones, Captain America and Divergence.
The American woman who
was killed when a lion leapt through a window and into a car in a South
African nature park has been identified as Katherine Chappell, a
29-year-old visual effects editor who had travelled to the country to
volunteer as a wildlife conservationist.
Chappell was killed at The Lion Park, Johannesburg, when travelling
through the park’s terrain in a car. She was attacked and killed by the
lioness when it jumped through her window, leaving one other passenger
hospitalised with serious injuries.
Chappell's photo of her holding an Emmy for Game of Thrones (Instagram)
Chappell, originally from Rye, New York, lived in Vancouver, Canada. She
had travelled to South Africa as a volunteer to take part in work
designed to protect animals from poachers.
In Vancouver Chappell had worked as a visual effects editor and had been involved with
Game Of Thrones and films
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the
Divergence film series.
Chappell photographed herself travelling through London en route to South Africa (Instagram)
The MailOnline reported
that Chappell’s sister Jennifer paid tribute to her sibling on
Facebook, writing: “We are broken-hearted to share this news with our
friends and family: Yesterday morning, while on a volunteer mission to
protect wildlife in South Africa, Kate Chappell was involved in a tragic
and fatal accident,
“Katie was a brilliant, kind, adventurous and
high-spirited woman. Her energy and passion could not be contained by
mere continents or oceans. She was very much loved and shared her love
for life with those she met.
Chappell posted the image after arriving in South Africa with the message: "Me likey joburg"
“We cannot thank everyone enough for the words and support. It means the world to us during this difficult time.”
The Lion Park has not closed in light of Chappell’s death and
the lion will not be put down.
ABC
News reported that the lioness who attacked Chappell had been mating
and had cubs with her, which could have explained the animal’s
behaviour. The park has strict rules that all windows must be closed
when driving through it.
independent.