Chandigarh, January 20: A man was mauled to death by lions on Sunday afternoon in the Lion Safari of the Chhatbir Zoo in Punjab's Mohali district. While the identity of the man was not ascertained, he is believed to be around 25 years old. His body was spotted by drivers of the buses that ferry tourists inside the lion safari.

Two lions, Shilpa and Yuvraj, attacked the man for around ten minutes. There were four lions in the lion safari at the time of the incident. "The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead," a zoo official told news agency IANS. Following the incident, the Lion Safari was closed for the time being for visitors. Man-Animal Conflict: Leopard Who Mauled Over 20 People, Killed by Rajaji Tiger Reserve Officials in Motichur Range.

An inquiry was underway to ascertain how the young man scaled the 12-ft-high wall of the safari enclosure. There was a barbed wire fencing on top of that wall. The Chhatbir zoo is a popular place in the region and attracts hundreds of visitors, especially on weekends.

Called the Mohendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, Chhatbir zoo is spread over 505 acres and is home to over 1,200 animals from over 100 species.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 20, 2019 09:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).