Lion Bites Off Man's Finger In Horrific Viral Video

A man's attempt to pet a caged lion backfired horribly after the animal bit off one of his fingers.

In the chilling incident that happened Friday afternoon at the St. Elizabeth Zoo in Lacovia, Jamaica, a man lost his finger after he stuck his hand through the lion's enclosure to pet it.

A video of the incident was recorded by some zoo visitors and was shared on social media. The clip has since gone viral.

Warning: This video may be disturbing to some viewers

In the video, the man was seen putting his hand inside the fence to pet the animal. He immediately takes his hand back and repeats the act for a second time. This time, the lion doesn't appear to be too pleased by his antics and bites the man's finger as the latter struggles to break free. Seconds into the scuffle, the lion tears apart one of the man's fingers and the latter falls to the ground wincing in pain.

At least 15 people were present at the site when the attack occurred, news outlet YEN.com.gh reported. The victim was immediately rushed to a hospital for treatment.

One of the visitors, who requested anonymity, told Jamaica Observer that the victim, who works as a zookeeper, was attempting to entertain the guests. She said she didn't realize the severity of the incident at first.

The unidentified victim's right ring finger was partially bitten off by the lion.

"When it happened, I thought it was a joke. I didn't think it was serious. I didn't realize the seriousness of it, because it's their job to put on a show," the zoo visitor told the outlet. "Obviously, when he fell to the ground everybody realized that it was serious. Everybody started to panic."

"The entire skin and about the first joint of his finger was gone," the woman added.

Pamela Lawson, managing director of the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said she "will be going down there and I will be communicating with the National Environment and Planning Agency who has oversight over Jamaica Zoo."