A MODEL has been mauled by a leopard that ripped open her face during a photoshoot.

       Jessica Leidolph, 36, was repeatedly bitten on the face by the big cat during the attack, which took place at a home for retired show animals in Germany.

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       Jessica Leidolph has been left with severe facial injuries Credit: Newsflash 4

       She was attacked by 16-year-old leopard Troja Credit: Newsflash

       The 16-year-old female leopard named Troja attacked suddenly after Leidolph entered her enclosure, leaving the model with permanent scars on her face.

       She lost consciousness and was airlifted with severely bleeding wounds to hospital, where she was immediately operated on.

       "It repeatedly kept biting my cheek, ear and head,” she told Bild later.

       Troja shared the enclosure with another leopard, 18-year-old Paris, and they had once graced TV screens in an advert for multinational electronics giant Panasonic.

       They were moved to the 9,150 sq ft retirement home in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, which houses 135 animals and is often used for photoshoots.

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       The police are now investigating its managers for negligent bodily harm, along with other people responsible for the animals.

       The site’s 48-year-old owner has worked as an animal trainer for 20 years and holds a legal license to keep the animals

       A Burgenlandkreis district spokesperson revealed that keeping leopards does not require a permit in Saxony-Anhalt.

       A public health officer visited the compound on Wednesday to check whether the animals were adequately kept and if the facility met regulatory standards.

       Leidolph has also produced her own erotic calendar and models under the stage name Lady Butterfly.

       On her website she says she is an animal rights activist in her spare time and keeps a horse, cats, parrots and pigeons at her home.

       She trained as a physiotherapist and says she is happy working with animals “as long as it does not mean unnecessary stress” for them and she does not shoot with fur.

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       Leidolph describes herself as an animal rights activist Credit: Newsflash 4

       Troja and Paris share an enclosure at the retirement home for show animals Credit: Newsflash

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