Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 : Surya Narayan Das, a 35-year-old man from Chhatrapur, Ganjam, jumped into a lion's enclosure at the famous Nandankanan zoo here on Friday. He was mauled by two lions, but was rescued alive.
Das came to the zoo, and after purchasing an entry ticket, he went near the lions enclosure and began removing his clothes.
As other visitors watched him out of curiosity, Das prostrated in front of a female tourist from Kolkata, Rina Basu, and started climbing the iron mesh around the enclosure.
After climbing inside the enclosure, he offered his prayers to two sleeping lions, Krish and Supriya, with folded hands and then went to sleepin a corner of the outer enclosure, waiting for the inevitable.
As visitors shouted and tried to draw the zoo staff's attention, lioness Supriya first approached Das. She sniffed at Das before pouncing upon him.
Das had fainted by that time, and he lay still without screaming or showing signs of resistance. Supriya's mate Krish joined her. By that time, Supriya had vitten into Das' head. Both the lions then dragged Das to nearly 50 feet distance, one grabbing by his neck and the other his leg.
Visitors, who were watching this aghast, now began to throw stones at the animals in a bid to save Das.
The lions, by that time, panicked at the commotion, and hid themselves inside the inner enclosure.
By this time, the zoo staff shut the door of the inner cage, and took Das away to safety.
"We reached within five minutes and rescued him. He was rushed to a private hospital.
"Since it was lunch time, the animal keepers were not around but two security men were patrolling nearby", said assistant director of Nandan Kanan zoo, K L Purohit.
In hospital, Das regained his senses and told police: "I wanted to die after quarreling with my wife. I thought I would offer myself to Sheraawali (Goddess Durga). If Sheraawali wants I will live, otherwise I'll die ".
Das was later shifted to the SCB Medical College at Cuttack as his condition remained critical.
"He has received multiple injuries on the skull, neck, ribs, hands and legs. Almost the entire body is bruised because the animals dragged him for quite a distance," said Dr Srikant Mohapatra, general manager, KIMS hospital.
Deputy director of the zoo, C R Mishra, said this unusual incident was the first of its kind at Nandan Kanan.
"We strictly follow guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority for the safety and security of visitors and animals. But if someone jumps into the lion's mouth to end his life, we are helpless", said Mishra.
