PRAGUE, March 5 (Xinhua) -- A lion attacked and killed its owner early on Tuesday in a small village in South Moravia of the Czech Republic, according to local media.
The 34-year-old breeder, who kept two lions without the required permits from the veterinary authorities, was found dead in the lions' cage.
The police had to shoot the lion in order to get to the breeder.
The breeder brought the then six-year-old lion to the village in the summer of 2016. He built an enclosure on his family's plots without a permit, about which some locals were complaining for long.
However, the authorities were not able to prevent the lion breeding though he was fined for unauthorized breeding several times.
In reaction to the fatal incident, the Ombudsman's Office said it had repeatedly in the past urged various state and municipal bodies to ensure adequate funding for alternative care for big animals.
The tragic case "shows the consequences of the lack of a system of alternative animal care, how the state fails to enforce law. The tragedy did not have to happen if the authorities were able to remove the lions from the breeders", said Stanislav Krecek, the representative of the ombudsman.
