Incidents of big cats attacking humans are increasing at an alarming rate, and the fault is not at all that of these majestic wild animals. In yet another incident, an elderly man was attacked by a lion at Marakele Predator Park in South Africa. A terrifyingly video that has gone viral since the event shows a 67-year-old man Mike Hodge getting mauled by a full-grown lion after Mr Hodge went too close to the ferocious animal inside his enclosure. The lion attacked his victim with full might and had almost dragged him into the jungle before a gunshot was fired.

It has become a routine of a sort to step inside animals’ enclosure, a mistake that could have proven fatal for Briton owner of Marakele Predator Park in South Africa. Mike Hodge’s decision to get up, close and personal with a lion, dubbed as the king of jungle turned into a nightmarish experience. The video shot at the wildlife park showed the British man entering the lion’s enclosure equivalent to the big cat’s den.

Speaking to the Sun, a friend of Mike Hodge was quoted saying, 'Mike and one of his rangers were a little concerned about a smell in a compound that was upsetting one of the lions and had gone in through the gate to see what was causing it,' before further adding, 'He is no fool around lions and knows how to interact with them but clearly something went wrong'.

Watch: Terrifying moment lion savagely attacks an elderly man

Whatever be the noble thought of the man, he found himself under attack from the predator who had almost gone for the kill. The lion came pouncing upon Hodge who tried making a run to the gate, but he was grabbed by the lion’s paws before he could escape. Hodge was pulled away by the wildcat further away from the metal gate. At one moment, he lost the grip over the man but again latched on to him to make the final attack amidst the screams for help from onlookers.

At one point everyone felt Mike Hodge was lost forever, but a loud gunshot from nowhere got the lion leave his prey and make a run. In the video, one could hear screams of Hodge’s wife Chrissy and chose not to comment after her husband’s dramatic escape from the jaws of death. However, his friends have informed the man to be recovering well from his bruises sustained in the attack.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2018 11:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).