An Iraqi man, Aqil Fakhr al-Din, 50, was killed and partially devoured by his pet lion in Kufa last Thursday, just days after puchasing the animal to tame it. The incident has shaken the Al-Barakiya district in the Najaf Governorate.
Al-Din was attacked as he approached the lion's cage in the garden of his home in the Al-Hasinat area, where he had kept lions and other wild animals for years.
According to the Al-Ghad newspaper, the lion pounced, biting al-Din's neck and chest, resulting in fatal injuries. The animal then consumed a significant portion of the man's body. Al-Din was well-known in the community for keeping exotic animals as pets.
A security source told the newspaper that Aqil Fakhr al-Din had been raising the lion in his garden for about a month before the sudden attack. As the victim approached the cage, the lion pounced and tore him apart with its fangs, causing immediate death due to severe injuries to his neck and chest.
"A neighbour heard the family's screams and cries for help and intervened, managing to kill the lion by shooting it with his personal weapon, thus ending the violent attack," the source added.
The victim's body was transferred to the forensic medicine department according to standard procedures. A video clip later circulated on social media showing the lion lying in a pool of blood.
The incident has once again highlighted the growing trend of raising predatory animals in residential areas in Iraq without any legal framework or veterinary supervision, posing a direct threat to public safety.
