A 50-year-old man, Aqil Fakhr al-Din, was mauled and partially devoured by his pet lion in Kufa, Iraq, just days after purchasing the animal, according to a report from Al-Ghad newspaper, as quoted by Metro. The incident took place last Thursday when al-Din, who had a history of keeping wild animals, was fatally attacked in his garden.

Al-Din had recently acquired the lion with plans to tame it, housing it in a cage alongside other exotic animals on his property. However, the situation turned tragic when the lion suddenly lashed out. A source told Al-Ghad that the predator lunged at al-Din as he approached the enclosure, biting him in the neck and chest.

As per the outlet, the neighbour, hearing al-Din’s screams, rushed to his aid, grabbing a Kalashnikov rifle to try to save him. After firing seven shots, the neighbour managed to kill the lion, as confirmed by the Shafaq News Agency. Footage shared on social media shows the lion’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood on the grass, with cages visible in the background of the garden.

Emergency services arrived at the scene, and al-Din’s body was transported to Al-Sadr Medical City Hospital in Najaf. Police have since launched an investigation into the incident. The authorities revealed to Rudaw news network that the lion was put down after refusing to leave the remains of its owner.

Iraq has long struggled with illegal wildlife trafficking, an issue exacerbated by war, a lack of regulation and the high price tags such animals have.

Poachers and smugglers capture endangered and vulnerable animals, from Egyptian vultures and marbled ducks to lion cubs and otters, to sell in animal markets.

Many of the animals have been imported from places such as Africa or Thailand, drugged and wrapped in cling film or crammed into crates to get through customs.

Zoos act as bazaars for the wild species trade, a report by Nature Iraq found. Easily able to obtain permits to legally receive and maintain exotic species, zookeepers then resell the animals to other zoos or individuals.

The death of Al-Din follows a similar event in Kenya, where a 14-year-old girl was killed by a lion. The lion, believed to have escaped from Nairobi National Park, entered a residential compound on the outskirts of the city and attacked the girl, dragging her away. A friend of the victim raised the alarm, and Kenya Wildlife Service rangers later found the girl's body with severe injuries.