Lion Kills Man Who Entered Its Enclosure By Scaling 10-Foot Zoo Fence

In an unprecedented incident, a lion mauled a man to death after he entered its enclosure at a zoo in Ghana.

The incident took place in a zoo located in the capital city of Accra, according to a statement issued by the chief executive of Ghana's forestry commission. Zoo officials on routine patrol witnessed a middle-aged man jump the security fences to enter the lions' enclosure on Aug. 28.

The man first jumped over a 10-foot fence and then a second 20-foot barrier to enter the space. A lion, lioness and her two cubs were inside the enclosure at the time. As soon as the lion noticed the man, it pounced on him.

The man later succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the attack, officials added.

"The intruder has been confirmed dead from injuries sustained and the body has been conveyed to the morgue," the statement said.

Accra Zoo authorities successfully coaxed the lioness to secure the area before calling police to remove the man's dead body.

"Forestry Commission wishes to assure the general public that no lion has escaped from the Accra Zoo," the statement added.

Officials are investigating to determine how the intruder got into the restricted area. The motive of the man is yet to be confirmed.

Benito Owusu Bio, deputy minister for lands and natural resources in Ghana, said lions with cubs may feel threatened when anyone gets too close to the enclosure thinking they are trying to take away their babies.

"We ask the public to desist from doing anything like this," he added while speaking with reporters after the incident.

Inaugurated by Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, in the early 1960s, Accra zoo was set up as a private menagerie. However, the zoo was opened to the public in 1966 after the government of Nkrumah was overthrown.

In another incident earlier this year, a caged lion at the St. Elizabeth Zoo in Lacovia, Jamaica, bit off a man's finger when he attempted to pet the animal.