India, May 14 -- 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.

(Also read: Escaped lion enters house, mauls 14-year-old girl to death in Kenya)

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 n...