My face was ripped off by a tiger when I was a baby — but I love myself
Megan Krüger, a 16-year-old from South Africa, has opened up about the brutal bullying she suffered as a result of an attack by a tiger that left her permanently disfigured. When Megan was 18 months old, her parents took her to a nature reserve in the Free State province in June 2007. Disaster struck when her father and she crouched down near the fence to see the tigers better — and a lightning-fast attack left Megan permanently disfigured. The tiger had latched onto her with its huge claws and pulled her through the wire fence, mauling her head and face.
Desperate to save his daughter, Casper sprung into action — but lost two of his own fingers in the process. The father was able to free his daughter from the tiger’s jaws after grappling with it for a few minutes. The father and daughter were rushed to the nearest hospital, where they received emergency treatment and were stabilized. Megan was later transferred to a different hospital better equipped to treat her extensive injuries, and she spent two months in the ICU there.
Megan has had countless surgeries to reconstruct her jaw, and the bone in her lower jaw is still quite fragile. She doesn’t have bottom teeth because the bone is so fragile. Although Megan’s parents raised her in a “normal” way, school was a struggle for her due to cruel taunts over her injuries. However, things have gotten better for her since she is now in high school and happy with who she is.
Megan said she has come a long way since her middle school days and feels much more confident about her looks. The brave teen even ventured into acting and appeared in a short film broadcast on a local TV station. Megan urged everyone to love themselves regardless of how they look.
FAQs:
What happened to Megan Krüger?
Megan was mauled by a tiger when she was only 18 months old. The attack left her permanently disfigured, and she has had countless surgeries to reconstruct her jaw.
How did Megan’s father save her from the tiger?
To save his daughter from the tiger, Megan’s father stuck his left hand in the animal’s mouth to free her from its jaws. He grappled with the tiger with his bare hands for a few minutes before the animal let go.
Did Megan face bullying at school?
Megan faced bullying at school due to her injuries. She was teased a lot in seventh grade, but she is now happy at her high school and a member of the debate team.
What does Megan want people to do?
Megan urges everyone to love themselves regardless of how they look and to see the positive instead of the negative. She believes that this mindset will lead to triumph.
Despite being disfigured by a tiger as a baby, I have learned to love myself.
Megan Krüger, who had her face ripped off by a tiger when she was just 18 months old, is speaking out about the bullying she has endured as a result of her injuries.
She and her parents were at a nature reserve in South Africa in June 2007, watching tigers in a fenced area. Her father, Casper, excitedly wanted to show his daughter the ferocious felines, but Megan’s mother, Dot, felt uneasy about their size and proximity.
Disaster struck when the father and daughter crouched down near the fence to see the tigers better. A tiger launched a lightning-fast attack, pulling Megan through the wire fence and mauling her head and face.
Casper acted quickly to save his daughter, sticking his left hand in the animal’s mouth to free her from its jaws. He spent several minutes grappling with the tiger with his bare hands before the animal let go.
The father and daughter were rushed to the nearest hospital, where they both received emergency treatment. Megan was transferred to a different hospital better equipped to treat her extensive injuries, and she spent two months in the ICU there.
Megan has since had countless surgeries to reconstruct her jaw, and the bone in her lower jaw is still quite fragile, with no bottom teeth due to the fragility of the bone.
School was a struggle for Megan due to cruel taunts over her injuries, but things have gotten better for her. She feels much more confident about her looks, even venturing into acting and appearing in a short film broadcast on a local TV station.
Despite the challenges she has faced, Megan loves herself and encourages others to love themselves as well – regardless of how they look.