A 50-year-old resident of Najaf, Southern Iraq has been eaten alive days after he bought a Lion as pet animal to keep in his garden.
According to reports, the animal consumed most of the man’s body before neighbours could intervene on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
A local news site, Rudaw stated, “Today in a garden in the city of Kufa in Najaf, a citizen was attacked by a lion in his own garden. And he d!ed immediately.”
The spokesperson for the Najaf Police, Mufid Tahir confirmed the incident.
Tahir added that the lion had to be killed because it had eaten a large portion of the man’s body. This was even as the animal refused to leave the remains of the body.
“The victim’s neighbours reportedly intervened and shot the lion with a Kalashnikov rifle, Killing it with seven bullets.
“The man’s remaining body was immediately transferred to Al-Sadr Medical City Hospital in Najaf in Iraq. He did not survive due to the extent of his injuries.
According to local reports, the victim had purchased the lion just days before the tragedy.
“He had the intention of raising and taming the Lion at home as a pet,” the report stated.