Big Cat Attack

An animal trainer was bitten on the ankle by a black panther Wednesday afternoon during a remake of the movie “Swiss Family Robinson” in a remote area of Malibu Creek State Park. Sylvie Rodriguez, 46, was listed in fair condition at UCLA Medical Center after surgery to repair her broken ankle. The trained animal was leashed on the movie set in Calabasas, as required by state law, and witnesses were unable to offer a reason for the attack. One expert from the Los Angeles Zoo suggested later that big cats, as natural predators, often react to strangers as prey.