A man in Hyderabad entered the enclosure where lions are housed at the Nehru Zoological Park in the city on Tuesday, November 23. The 31-year-old, identified as G Sai Kumar, came almost face to face with a lion but was rescued. A video of the incident, shot by other visitors, shows the man sitting on a boulder as a lion on the ground looks up at him. At one point, the lion is even seen charging at the boulder and trying to jump. However, staff members of the zoo soon reach the rocks and escort the man out.
In a press note, officials of the zoo said, “Today, at around 03.30 pm, a person who was walking vulnerably on the boulders of the African Lion moat area, where the lions are released in the exhibited enclosure at Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad which is a absolutely prohibited area, was rescued and caught by the zoo staff and handed over to the Bahadurpura Police Station by lodging a complaint. In an enquiry it came to know that his name is G Sai Kumar, aged about 31-years old.”
The police said that further investigation is underway and a case will be registered soon. Watch the video below.
A man was enters into the #Lion enclosure, walking on the boulders of #AfricanLion moat area, at #NehruZoologicalPark, #Hyderabad.
— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy67) November 23, 2021
The person was rescued and caught by the #zoo staff and handed over to Bahadurpura police. pic.twitter.com/RO3TW2fh3G
A similar incident had been reported in 2016 in the Hyderabad zoo when a man jumped into the African lion's enclosure in an intoxicated state, reportedly to “shake hands” with the animal. A video of the incident which had gone viral showed the man, identified as Mukesh, falling into the moat and swimming towards the lions, and reached within a few feet from them. He was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Wildlife (Protection) Act and later sentenced to four months in prison along with a fine.