A man was mauled to death by his pet lion in southern Iraq, just days after bringing the animal home in hopes of taming it in his garden.
The victim, 50-year-old Aqil Fakhr al-Din, was known locally for keeping lions and other wild animals on his property for years, according to police.
“The lion had eaten a large portion of the man’s body, and because the lion refused to leave the remains, we were forced to shoot and kill it.”
According to local TV reports, the victim’s neighbour intervened before authorities came, shooting the lion seven times with a Kalashnikov rifle and killing it.
Al-Din was immediately taken to Al-Sadr Medical City Hospital in Najaf but did not survive due to the severity of his injuries.
