ions

LONDON, England (Reuter) --

A man clutching a Bible climbed into the lions' den at London Zoo Monday and was badly mauled in the second such incident at the animal park in two years.

Officials at the zoo in London's Regents Park said the man, in his 20s or 30s, climbed over a 20-foot fence to enter an enclosure housing Asiatic lions.

Three of the lions pinned him down for several minutes and had to be enticed away by keepers before the man could be helped. He was airlifted to a hospital with serious chest injuries and was described as being in critical condition.

The Bible recounts the story of Daniel who spent a night in a lions' den, protected from injury by his religious faith.

Two years ago a 27-year-old schizophrenic said to be obsessed with cats climbed into the same den and was badly mauled.

Zoo director Jo Gipps expressed regret at Monday's mauling and defended security arrangements.

"We greatly regret the incursion today and the injuries suffered by this man. Security is as tight as is reasonably possible. However, if an individual is sufficiently determined he or she may succeed in breaching our enclosures," Gipps said in a statement.

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