Joseph R. Arcaris rescued Chester Czaja from attack by lions, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 9, 1940. Czaja, 24, caretaker, entered an enclosure in which there were five untrained lions, and they knocked him down, bit, and dragged him. Arcaris, 31, animal trainer, carrying a six-foot-long stick, entered the enclosure. He had never been in the enclosure and had not worked with the lions. Three of the lions were biting Czaja, who was unconscious and covered with blood. With the stick he beat off two of the lions, part of the stick breaking off; and the other lion dragged Czaja into a niche in the wall of the enclosure and again began to bite him. Another lion joined in attacking Czaja. Following the lions to the niche, Arcaris repeatedly struck one lion’s head and back; it ran away. Entering a step or two into the niche, he then beat the other lion’s head; it dropped Czaja and faced Arcaris. Thinking the lion might charge him, Arcaris stepped toward it and struck it again; and it moved away. Men outside the enclosure fired blank cartridges and chased the lions into cages, and then they entered and removed Czaja. Czaja was seriously injured, but he recovered. Arcaris was not injured. 38229-3165
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