Overview

• Aqil Fakhr al-Din, 50, was killed by a lion he purchased days earlier to raise and tame at his home in Kufa, Najaf province.
• The lion consumed much of al-Din's body and resisted leaving the remains, prompting a neighbor to shoot the animal seven times with a Kalashnikov rifle.
• Al-Din was taken to Al-Sadr Medical City Hospital but succumbed to his injuries due to their severity.
• Najaf Police have launched an official investigation into how al-Din acquired and housed the lion, as footage of the aftermath circulates online.
• The incident has reignited scrutiny of Iraq's weak enforcement of wildlife protection laws and the country's role as a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking.