A man has been mauled to death by a lion after he entered its enclosure at a zoo in Ghana, according to the country’s government.

Security guards on a routine patrol noticed around midday on Sunday that the middle-aged man had climbed over a tall mesh fence and into the restricted area, which contained a lion, lioness and two cubs.

“The intruder was attacked and injured by one of the lions, within the inner fencing of the enclosure,” the forestry commission said in a statement.

It added that the man had died from wounds he suffered in the attack at Accra Zoo in Ghana’s capital.

None of the animals escaped during the incident and the enclosure remained secure, the statement said.

The motive for the intruder entering the enclosure has not yet been established and authorities have begun an investigation.

Lions are a big draw at the zoo, where reinforced mesh fencing allows visitors to view the animals up close.

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