Man mauled by lions and left with horror injuries after releasing them from cages where he sought refuge (video)

A man believed to be drunk was attacked by lions after he freed them from their enclosures at a zoo. 

The animals were housed in a reserve for former circus animals, when the man scaled a fence and unleashed six of the lions. 

He sought refuge in one of their cages when the animals turned on him. 

A dog present at the scene was also killed by the lions. 

The man even filmed the lions roaring and prowling near the cage he was hiding in. 
 

Zoo keepers eventually arrived on the scene and raised the alarm. 

The man, estimated to be around 40, dressed in a torn black sweatshirt and shredded blue jeans, was rescued, and the lions were returned to their enclosures. 

The incident occurred at Los Pinos Reserve, San Pedro Cholula, Mexico, on Monday, March 9. 

The man responsible for releasing the animals was taken to hospital. He reportedly sustained severe injuries to his arms and face. The lions were unharmed. 
 

In a clip from the incident that emerged on Mexican newspaper Milenio’s YouTube channel, shaky footage, seemingly taken by the man, shows the lions through the bars of the cage. 

As the camera shifts to the ground, it shows a lifeless, blurred animal in the grass, with the sound of birds crowing loudly and lions roaring gently in the background. 

It appears that the person was protecting themselves behind a gate that had been pulled open to create a triangular space between the gate and the inner fence enclosing the lions. 

A photo of the man from the hospital shows what seem to be quite extensive injuries to his face, which has been bandaged and appears swollen and scratched in places.

See video below.