Death by lion (Panthera leo): injury patterns and forensic perspectives of large feline attacks

Fatalities resulting from large felid attacks represent a rare subset of injuries in autopsy practice and are rarely documented in the medico-legal literature. Here, we present the case of a 67-year-old man who was fatally injured and extensively devoured by a captive African lion. An autopsy revealed multiple vital bite wounds to the head and neck with severance of the major neck vessels and the cervical spine. In addition, there was extensive postmortem damage, with defleshing injuries and bite marks to the lower extremities and multiple claw marks to the abdomen and back. The vitality of the wounds clearly decreased in the head-to-toe direction. Injury patterns inflicted by large felids on humans mirror their natural predatory behavior, with fatal bites typically targeting the cranio-cervical region. Unlike other large felids, lions may engage in postmortem consumption of human remains, an important feature for forensic considerations. Despite habituation to humans, captive large felids retain their predatory instincts, which may be triggered during feeding and play or by sudden movements. Given the rarity of such cases, this report provides additional insights into investigative strategies, mechanisms of attack, and injury morphology within this largely unexplored area of fatal large feline-to-human confrontation. In addition, this article consolidates the available literature on fatal and nonfatal large feline attacks on humans and highlights relevant medico-legal features for forensic professionals.