A LION is dead and a man is in hospital after an attack at the Marakele Predator Centre in South Africa.

Mike Hodge, the park’s owner, entered the enclosure, even though he was aware that the lions were nearby and unsettled.

A lion easily caught him and dragged him into the bushes as witnesses screamed in shock and panic. The animal was later killed for doing nothing more than acting like a lion.

Yet again, captivity has led to suffering and death for a magnificent animal.

Even under the “best” circumstances, captivity is never acceptable for big cats, and as cases such as this one prove, it’s often deadly. This tragedy is exactly why PETA urges families to stay away from facilities that display animals as living exhibits for humans to gawk at.

Jennifer White, PETA