A tragic incident has shocked many in Iraq and beyond, as a 50-year-old man was mauled to death by a lion he recently bought to tame. The man, identified as Aqil Fakhr al-Din, was killed last Thursday in Kufa, Iraq, just days after bringing the wild animal home.
Reports from local news outlet Al-Ghad, cited by Metro UK, revealed that al-Din had kept the lion in a cage on his property, along with other wild animals. He reportedly hoped to domesticate the lion. However, things turned deadly when the animal attacked him as he approached the enclosure.
Eyewitnesses said the lion bit al-Din in the neck and chest. His screams drew the attention of a neighbour, who arrived with a Kalashnikov rifle and shot the lion multiple times to stop the attack. Shafaq News Agency confirmed that the lion was killed after the neighbour fired seven rounds.
Videos circulating on social media show the lion’s body lying in a pool of blood with cages visible in the background of al-Din’s compound. Emergency services later arrived and took the victim’s body to Al-Sadr Medical City Hospital in Najaf.
Authorities told Rudaw news network that the lion was put down because it refused to move away from al-Din’s remains. The police have launched an investigation into the incident.
The story has sparked debate online, with many questionings why wild animals are kept as pets and calling for stricter regulations.
