In a chilling and tragic twist of fate, a 50-year-old Iraqi man, Aqil Fakhr al-Din, met a gruesome end after being mauled and partially devoured by a lion he had just purchased to tame. The shocking incident unfolded in the holy city of Kufa, Iraq, barely days after al-Din brought the predator into his home.
Known locally for his eccentric habit of keeping wild animals—including lions—in his garden, al-Din’s passion for exotic pets turned deadly last Thursday. According to reports, the fatal encounter occurred while he was tending to the newly acquired lion in its enclosure. The beast, rather than yielding to its owner’s familiar presence, launched a vicious attack, sinking its fangs into his neck and chest.
Eyewitnesses told Al-Ghad newspaper that al-Din had approached the cage as part of his effort to tame the creature. But the lion, still untamed and agitated, pounced on him with ferocious force. Disturbing details reveal that the animal devoured large portions of his body while his desperate screams echoed through the neighborhood.
In a desperate bid to save him, a neighbor rushed to the scene armed with an AK-47 rifle. After firing seven rounds, the lion was finally brought down, its bloodied body captured in a harrowing video now circulating on social media. The footage shows the lifeless lion sprawled on the grass near cages that held other wild animals, a grim testament to the dangers of private exotic animal ownership.
Al-Din’s remains were transported to Al-Sadr Medical City Hospital in Najaf, while law enforcement officers cordoned off the property and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack. “The lion refused to leave the remains of the victim, prompting authorities to put it down,” police sources told Rudaw News.
This horrifying incident has reignited concerns over Iraq’s unregulated and often illicit exotic animal trade. Despite signing the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Protection of Animals in 2014, Iraq continues to grapple with rampant wildlife trafficking—fueled by lax regulations, the devastation of war, and the allure of status symbol pets.
According to environmental group Nature Iraq, poachers and smugglers frequently capture endangered animals—ranging from lion cubs to rare birds—and smuggle them across borders from places like Africa and Thailand. Many are sedated, crammed into crates, or wrapped in cling film to bypass customs. Once inside Iraq, zoos and private buyers become part of a thriving underground market.
These animals, often kept in deplorable conditions with poor hygiene and inadequate care, suffer high mortality rates. Experts say the trade is not only cruel but also dangerous, as evidenced by this week’s tragic event.
As Iraq mourns the loss of a man consumed by his own fascination with the wild, the question remains: how many more lives must be lost before real action is taken to rein in the country’s exotic animal trade?
PIONEER NEWS 