Antalya: The freak occurrence of a lion escaping from a zoo in Trkiye's southern Antalya province on Sunday led to an even rarer lion bite and an exceptional survival from a lion attack.

According to Anadolu Agency, the male lion, named Zeus, broke out of its enclosure at the Land of Lions (Aslan Diyari) zoo in the Manavgat district around 3.21 am, as reported by the Antalya Governor's Office.

Suleyman Kir, who was bitten by Zeus, was taken to Akdeniz University Hospital for treatment. The university rector, Ozlenen Ozkan, stated that the patient described putting up a serious fight with the big cat. "The patient said the lion grabbed him by the throat and then fled. He had serious injuries to both ears, which we treated. There were also wounds on his abdomen and legs. He has an incomplete fracture in his neck - not severe enough to require surgery but will need to be monitored for a while," Ozkan told reporters.

Ozkan emphasized the rarity of such an attack in Trkiye, noting that this case would be one for the history books. "It's a very rare occurrence. This was actually only the second lion bite case treated at our hospital," he added. Kir's familiarity with nature and animals, along with his bravery, contributed to his survival in the fight against the "king of jungle."

Kir's wife, Gulperi Kir, who witnessed the incident, recounted how her husband fought with the lion for 20 minutes. After turning on the irrigation system in their pistachio field, they had lain down to rest when the attack occurred. "It was around 3.30 or 4 am. We covered ourselves with a blanket to protect against mosquitoes. When I heard the mosque's call to prayer, I tried to get up to pray, but I couldn't. Suddenly, I felt something touch my left foot. I thought it bit me and wondered, 'Is it a dog? A cat?' I sat up and saw something huge - at first, I thought it was a dog," she told Anadolu.

Her husband, Suleyman Kir, shared a video following the attack, describing how he wrestled with the lion. "I had a blanket over me. When I lifted the blanket, I saw the lion had pounced on me. We wrestled for a while. I called for help, but there was no one around. During that time, the lion bit my thigh and my neck. I grabbed its neck and squeezed it - at that moment, it ran away," he recounted.

Despite the terrifying ordeal, Suleyman Kir is expected to make a full recovery. "We've done the necessary treatment. Now he's undergoing infection treatment and will be monitored for a while longer. But we hope to discharge him in a few days," Ozkan added.