A 50-year-old Iraqi man was killed and partially devoured by his pet lion last Thursday, just days after acquiring the animal, in an incident that has shocked residents in the Al-Barakiya district of Najaf Governorate.
Aqil Fakhr al-Din died in his garden in Kufa, Iraq, after the lion attacked him when he approached its cage, according to local reports.
Lion attacked owner after just one month in captivity
Al-Din, who was known in the community for keeping exotic animals as pets, had been raising the lion in his garden for approximately one month before the fatal incident occurred in the Al-Hasinat area.
According to Al-Ghad newspaper, the lion lunged at al-Din, inflicting fatal injuries to his neck and chest before consuming a significant portion of his body.
“A neighbor heard the family’s screams and cries for help and intervened, managing to kill the lion by shooting it with his weapon, thus ending the violent attack,” a security source told the newspaper.
Incident highlights dangers of exotic pet ownership
Following standard procedures, authorities transferred al-Din’s body to the forensic medicine department for examination. Meanwhile, footage showing the deceased lion lying in a pool of blood has circulated on social media platforms.
The tragic incident has renewed concerns about the increasingly common practice of keeping predatory animals in residential areas throughout Iraq. Critics point to the lack of legal regulations and proper veterinary supervision, which creates significant public safety risks.
Al-Din had reportedly maintained a collection of lions and other wild animals in his home garden for years prior to the attack, reflecting a dangerous trend of exotic pet ownership in the region.
