A tragic incident unfolded at the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park (SVZP) in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati on Thursday, resulting in the death of a man who jumped into the lions’ enclosure.

The victim, identified as 34-year-old Prahlad Gujjar, from Bansur in Rajasthan’s Alwar visited the zoo alone, purchasing a ticket like any other visitor. However, after reaching the lions’ enclosure, he entered the restricted area with the intention of taking a selfie.

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Despite being observed by a watcher stationed 200 meters away, who raised an alarm, Prahlad scaled a wall and accessed the secluded zone, eventually reaching a gate normally reserved for caretakers and medical staff.

Within the enclosure one of the males, named Dungarpur, attacked Prahlad, seizing him by the neck and tearing his clothes. Despite attempting to climb a tree to evade the lion’s grasp, his efforts were futile. The lion dragged him roughly 100 meters within the enclosure before being chased away by the watcher into its cage.

While there were conjectures regarding Prahlad’s mental state or possible intoxication, the police refrained from commenting, stating that a conclusive assessment would only be possible after a post-mortem examination.