Andhra Pradesh: Selfie-taking with a lion took a tragic turn for a man inebriated who scaled a 25-ft tall fence and leapt into the big cat enclosure at India’s Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in Andhra Pradesh.
The individual, identified as Prahlad Gujjar (38) from Alwar, Rajasthan, met a fatal end when he was attacked by the lion. Gujjar, displaying signs of intoxication, engaged in a reckless act with his phone, breaching into the non-public area of the Zoological Park despite warnings from a zoo watcher. Ignoring cautionary shouts, he ventured into the lion’s territory.
Before the zoo watcher could raise an alarm for assistance, the lion, named Dongalpur, fatally mauled Gujjar.
Zoo officials stated that excessive bleeding from the lion’s attack likely caused Gujjar’s demise. Despite repeated warnings from the watcher, Gujjar disregarded safety precautions.
“There are three lions in the zoo. At the time of the incident, two of them were confined to their cages throughout the day. We have implemented all necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” said Zoo Curator C Selvam.
This incident is not an isolated one. Previously, a few years ago, another intoxicated individual jumped into a zoo in New Delhi and met a similar fate, being mauled to death by a lion.
