[ Sporting Magazine ]
The Sporting Magazine (1792 - 1870) is considered the first general sporting magazine, though in its later decades it gave considerable emphasis to fox hunting. But it published all manner of sporting-related material, from news stories to poetry to calendars of upcoming sporting events. The subtitle of this magazine was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chace, and every other Diversion interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize and Spirit." [more at Wikipedia]
In the October, 1816, issue, was a story about an attack on the horses of a mail coach near the southern English town of Salisbury — an attack by a lioness that had escaped from the caravan of a travelling menagerie that was stopped nearby:
An alarm being given, the keeper immediately came forward, and rendered every assistance. A large Newfoundland dog, between which and the lioness a fondness had existed, was set at her, and seized her by the leg. The lioness, on finding herself attacked, quitted the horse and turned upon the dog, which it was expected would very soon become the victim of her fury; but the animal, with more reproach than viciousness, inflicted a slight punishment on it, and on hearing the voice of the keeper, retired underneath a staddle granary, where, soon after, the keeper very deliberately got in, put his arms around her neck, and secured her without any farther injury. (6)