INSIDE EDITION spoke to Paul Hanson, whose daughter Dianna was killed by a lion when she was working at an animal sanctuary.
She died from a single swipe of the lion's massive paw, that's the official word on Dianna Hanson, the intern who was killed at a California animal sanctuary.
The coroner said 24-year-old Dianna died from a broken neck when the lion named Couscous attacked her.
Dianna's father, Paul Hanson, said a coroner's official told him Dianna did not suffer the savage mauling everyone had feared.
He told INSIDE EDITION, "There was no mauling marks at all. Her face was not disfigured. She said it looked like the cat might just have gotten too playful.”
Watch more of our interview here.
Paul Hanson actually saw Couscous when he dropped his daughter off on her first day working at the sanctuary just two months ago.
He said, “She gave me a tour of the place, showed me around, introduced me to Couscous. She told me how safety conscious they were there. Couscous I guess had a reputation for being grouchy and just liking the owner."
It now appears the lion escaped from its pen and pounced on the unsuspecting intern as she cleaned another area at the Cat Haven park near Fresno.
Investigators also believe the lion may have managed to open the cage door on its own.
Paul Hanson says his daughter's legacy will be her lifelong love of big cats.
He said, "I hope people can be inspired by her life, to follow your dream. Be fearless. Follow your dream, follow your passion, don't let anything stop you."
