A man was beaten to death by a lion after climbing into a zoo in Ghana in an apparent attempt to steal a cub. The incident took place on Sunday at the Accra Zoo.
The unnamed man, described as middle-aged, died within the inner fence of the enclosure as a result of his injuries. According to the BBCzoo authorities believe the suspect may have been planning to steal two rare white lion cubs that have become a major draw since their birth in November 2021.
Officials said the intruder was first seen hopping over a zoo security fence and making his way into a lion enclosure. A lion, a lioness and their two white cubs were inside the moment he entered the room. The adult lion pounced on the man as soon as he saw him enter the enclosure.
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“The lions have cubs, so if you get too close they can feel like you’re trying to take their babies,” said Benito Owusu Bio, Ghana’s deputy minister of land and natural resources. News week. “We ask the public not to do such a thing,” he added.
After the attack, the man’s body was collected from the zoo and then taken to a local morgue. The Accra Zoo, on the other hand, was temporarily closed to the public. Police opened an investigation to determine the man’s motive and the circumstances of the attack.
The BBC reported that the intruder climbed a 10-foot fence before climbing over another 20 feet to enter the fence.
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White lions are considered sacred in some African cultures. They are heavily attacked by poachers for their value in illegal markets. According to the Global White Lion Protection Trust, only about a dozen white lions live in the wild.
The cubs at Accra Zoo were born by breeding a male and female lion with recessive traits — called leucism — to produce the effect.