A 38-year-old man from Rajasthan was mauled to death by an eight-year-old male Asiatic lion in Sri Venkateswara Zoo here on Thursday, said a Forest department official.

Around 4 pm, Prahlad Gujjar from Alwar district in Rajasthan came as a lone visitor and entered the restricted area, said the official.

“Though our animal keeper noticed and cautioned Gujjar from entering the restricted area, he scaled the six-foot-high fence and jumped into the lions’ enclosure,” Tirupati Zoo curator C Selvam told PTI.

The male lion which was on display at that time in the enclosure mauled him to death, he said.