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Lion bites are rare in the UK; however, we describe the case of a military-employed UK civilian who sustained a lion bite at an animal sanctuary in Africa, with initial treatment occurring overseas, followed by repatriation to a UK major trauma centre. The injury was limited to a bite to the left distal forearm resulting in a shearing force with extensive soft tissue damage but no bony injury, as seen on the pre-operative image (figure 1). Initial medical and surgical management occurred overseas with the aid of infectious diseases reach-back guidance. Once repatriated, follow-up debridement and skin grafts were completed to the volar aspect of the wrist and forearm which resulted in optimal healing outcomes, as seen in the post-operative image (figure 1). This case was discussed in the weekly military clinical meeting with input from both infectious and surgical specialities to determine ongoing management.