JOHANNESBURG - An American woman was killed by a lion in the Lion Park, Johannesburg on Monday while she had ignored several signs and verbal warnings not to drive in the area with her car windows wide open.

"We had a gentleman and a lady driving with the windows wide open. The lion came through the passenger side window and attacked her," assistant operations manager Scott Simpson said.

Simpson said the lioness attacked the victim through the front passenger window around 14:30 local time.

Staff rushed to help after the attack and paramedics were called. The woman died while they were treating her.

The man who was driving sustained scratches trying to fight her off. He was taken to hospital.

Simpson said there are more than 40 signs, both with pictures and text, warning visitors to keep their windows rolled up and stay in their cars.

Simpson said they had 200,000 visitors a year and this kind of thing rarely happened.

He said the lioness was removed to another enclosure, which was not open to the public.