The victim, Aqil Fakhr al-Din, had reportedly kept wild animals in his garden for years. On Thursday, the lion turned on him unexpectedly.
A 50-year-old man was mauled to death and partially eaten by his pet lion just days after acquiring the animal in Najaf, southern Iraq.
“Today in a garden in the city of Kufa in Najaf, a citizen was attacked by a lion in his own garden and died immediately,” said Najaf Police spokesperson Mufid Tahir. The lion refused to leave the body, prompting authorities to kill it.
The victim, Aqil Fakhr al-Din, had reportedly kept wild animals in his garden for years. On Thursday, the lion turned on him unexpectedly. A neighbor shot the lion with a Kalashnikov rifle, firing seven bullets, local TV reported.
Al-Din was rushed to Al-Sadr Medical City Hospital but died from his injuries. Authorities have launched an investigation.
The incident has sparked debate about Iraq’s weak enforcement of wildlife regulations, as exotic animal ownership and trafficking remain widespread despite the country’s 2014 commitment to global animal protection agreements.