The authorities in Ghana are investigating after a man was mauled to death by a lion after he climbed into a zoo enclosure in the capital, Accra.

The man, described as middle-aged, died from his injuries after Sunday’s attack, officials say.

Wildlife authorities suspect he may have planned to steal two rare white lion cubs which have become a big draw since their birth last November.

The victim’s body was retrieved from the zoo and taken to a local morgue.

Police have opened an investigation to establish the motive of the intruder and circumstances surrounding the attack.

A lion, a lioness and the two white cubs were in the enclosure when the incident happened.

When the cubs were born last year, there was huge excitement at the zoo, which has used them to try and attract visitors.

“The lions have cubs so if you come too close they may feel you are trying to take away their babies,” Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Benito Owusu Bio told journalists.

“We ask the public to desist from doing anything like this,” he added.

The intruder scaled a 10-foot fence before climbing over another 20-foot one to enter the lions’ enclosure, officials say.

(BBC)