Teenager mauled to death by lions

The mother of a British teenager who was mauled to death by lions was due to arrive in Zimbabwe yesterday to identify her son's body as details emerged of the horrific killing.

David Pleydell-Bouverie, 19, was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning in Zimbabwe's remote Matusadona National Park when a pride of up to 12 lions attacked the camp where he was working and dragged his body from the tent where he slept.

Victoria Pleydell-Bouverie was due to arrive at the Changachirere Camp, scene of the tragedy, late last night. The British high commission has already sent diplomats to the reserve, some 300 miles north-west of Harare, to monitor the police investigation into the attack, which came as a group of holidaymakers were touring the reserve on a "walking safari".

Officials at the British high commission will help repatriate the body today.

The teenager, who was working as a cook after leaving Harrow school last year, was asleep inside his tent when the lions attacked at 1am on Sunday. Rescuers rushed to the scene after hearing screams.

Safari worker Bradley Fouche - who along with David was sleeping in a tent pitched away from the main group - grabbed his rifle but did not have time to shoot the lion before the Briton was dragged into the bush.

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said other tourists and guides fled the scene as the group's guide set fire to his shirt to scare away the lions.

A spokesman for Zimbabwe's department of national parks and wildlife said: "It seems that the young man was taken from his tent in an attack by a group of lions and killed in the darkness. The tracks indicated two lions in his tent and possibly others involved outside."

An ageing lioness thought to have led the attack was tracked and shot by guides. A male lion was killed six hours later.

Zimbabwe's acting high commissioner to Britain, Tavelyn Musaka, said such an attack by lions was "very rare" and "should not have happened".

The dead boy's father, Richard, remained at the family home near Luton, where he was being comforted by the couple's two other children, Bartholomew, 17, and Harriet, 15.

Mr Pleydell-Bouverie, who is the high sheriff of Hertfordshire and brother of the Earl of Radnor, said: "We are going through the most unbearable and appalling family tragedy. We heard my son had been killed and have spent an awful night - we don't know the details. This is something that we wish to come to terms with privately. It's something I can't live with, I don't know how I'm going to."

A friend of the family said: "It's so terrible. David had his whole life in front of him. He was lovely, a gentle giant."

David - described as a "bright, genial young man with a taste for adventure" - was working at the safari park on the shores of Lake Kariba in his gap year. He developed his passion for Zimbabwe during family holidays.

He planned to return to Britain before October to start a history degree at Newcastle university.

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