Man Jumps Inside Lion Enclosure in Delhi Zoo; Rescued

Khan repeatedly said, “I have come to die, don’t rescue me.”

Rehan Khan said, “I have come to die, don’t rescue me” when the staff arrived to rescue him and ran towards the lion.

(Photo: Twitter)

A man, identified as Rehan Khan, jumped inside the lion enclosure at the Delhi Zoo on Thursday, 17 October, but escaped unhurt as the zoo staff rescued him after tranquillising the wild animal.

According to the staff, Rehan Khan, a native of Bihar's East Champaran district, said he wanted to die and asked them to not rescue him, ANI reported.

“Rehan Khan jumped into lion’s enclosure, guards tried to stop him. He kept saying, ‘I have come to die, don’t rescue me.’ We all rushed to the spot, gave him a ladder but he did not listen. Then we tranquillised the lion and rescued him.”

Riyaz Ahmed Khan, PRO, National Zoological Park

The incident took place at beat number 17 at around 12.30 pm. Khan did not sustain any injuries and seems to be ‘mentally disturbed’, PTI reported quoting the police.

Currently a resident of Seelampur in northeast Delhi, Khan is being questioned by the police.

Khan went near the animal, sat down and started teasing it, a zoo official told PTI. The feline, however, did not attack him. When the staff entered the enclosure to save him, he started running towards the lion.

The onlookers kept shouting and asking him to come back, but he did not pay their calls any heed, the official said.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)