Czech man mauled to death by lion he kept in back garden cage

Michal Prasek kept lion and lioness in separate enclosures he built at his home

A man has been mauled to death by a lion he kept in an enclosure in his back garden.

Michal Prasek, 33, kept a male lion and lioness in separate cages he built at his home in the Czech Republic.

His father found his body on Tuesday morning inside the male lion’s pen, which had been locked from the inside.

Police said they had to shoot both lions dead to get to Mr Prasek’s body.

Mr Prasek is understood to have bought the male lion in Slovakia in 2016 and the lioness last year.

He invited neighbours into his garden in the village of Zdechov to see the animals but did not have a permit to keep them, local media reported.

Mr Prasek is also said to have previously been denied planning permission to build the animals’ pens.

Last summer, he made the news when a cyclist crashed into his lion while he was walking it on a leash.

Police investigating the incident considered it a traffic accident.

Police spokeswoman Lenka Javorkova said on Tuesday: “A 33-year old man died after his lion attacked him.

“The police had to shoot two lions in order to get to the man who was with the animals.”