Tirupati: Man enters lion enclosure for selfie, gets fatally mauled

Tragedy struck at Tirupati zoo when a man, identified as 38-year-old Prahlad Gujjar from Alwar, Rajasthan, was mauled to death by a lion after entering its enclosure, reportedly in an attempt to take a selfie with the wild animal.

According to authorities at the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, Gujjar entered an unauthorized section of the zoo, ignoring warnings from a caretaker. Despite being advised to stay away, he climbed a fence over 25 feet tall and jumped into the lion enclosure.

Man dares lion for a selfie, jumps into enclosure, gets mauled.

40-year-old Prahlad Gujjar jumped into a lion enclosure for a selfie in Tirupati SV Zoo park. He also behaved in a way to provoke the lion. After the lion attacked him, he made an in vain attempt to save himself by… pic.twitter.com/4vWaRNkSZM

— Sudhakar Udumula (@sudhakarudumula) February 15, 2024

The lion, named Dongalpur, attacked Gujjar before the caretaker could intervene, resulting in fatal injuries. A police case has been registered, and a post-mortem examination will determine whether Gujjar was under the influence of alcohol or any other substances at the time of the incident.

Gujjar, who was visiting the zoo alone, hails from Alwar, Rajasthan. Authorities are currently attempting to contact his family to inform them of the tragic incident, as confirmed by zoo Curator C Selvam.

The zoo, which houses three lions including Dongalpur, has taken precautions following the incident. Dongalpur has been moved to a cage and will be kept under observation to ensure the safety of both visitors and animals.