New York native Kate Chappell identified as lion maul victim — 29-year-old worked as 'Game of Thrones' effects artist
The American woman mauled to death by a lion while on a South African safari was an adventurous New York native who worked as a visual effects artist on the wildly popular HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
Kate Chappell, a Hofstra University alumna originally from Rye in Westchester County, died Monday when a lion leapt through an open car window and attacked her as she took photos inside Gauteng Lion Park in Johannesburg.
Chappell’s sister confirmed her death in a Facebook post Tuesday.
“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,” she wrote.
The Chappell family could not immediately be reached for comment.
The 29-year-old worked as a visual effects artist on popular TV shows and movies, including on “Game of Thrones,” according to her IMDB page. She helped on the 2014 episode "The Children," which won that year's Emmy Award for Outstanding Special and Visual Effects.
Her resume boasts work on a slew of movies revered for their dazzling visuals: “Noah,” "Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Divergent” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” among others.
She graduated from Hofstra University in 2008 with a degree in film studies and production, the school confirmed Wednesday.
Chappell, who was living in Canada, documented her trip from Vancouver to South Africa on her Instagram account.
She smiled while carrying a huge backpack in front of the Vancouver airport on May 25. A day later, she was sipping cocktails in a London pub.
She posted images from a few more Johannesburg bars — one selfie was captioned “Me likey joburg” and a second photo showed a receipt for beer, lemonade and chocolate cake — before the fatal Monday attack.
Chappell was sitting in the passenger seat as 66-year-old Pierre Potgieter, the owner of Kalabash tours, drove her through the lion park. The 17-acre attraction lets the massive animals roam freely and allows guides and vistors to take their own cars through the park.
Her window was rolled down, and the successful artist was taking photographs, witnesses said. She ignored more than 40 signs and verbal warnings about keeping windows closed.
nday when a lion lept through an open car window and mauled her.
Potgieter tried to punch the animal once it entered the vehicle, South Africa's Eyewitness News reported. The 66-year-old guide suffered a heart attack and scratches during the attack and is now recovering in a hospital, the tour company said in a statement.
The lioness — that was with her cubs at the time of the attack — will not be euthanized, park officials said. She will be moved to a different, park-owned property that is not open to tourists.
The area where the attack occurred will be closed off to the public during an investigation, but the rest of the park will be open.
