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The authorities in Ghana are investigating after a man was mauled to death by a lion after he climbed into a zoo enclosure in the capital, Accra.

The man, described as middle-aged, died from his injuries after Sunday's attack, officials say.

Wildlife authorities suspect he may have planned to steal two rare white lion cubs which have become a big draw since their birth last November.

The victim's body was retrieved from the zoo and taken to a local morgue.

The Accra Zoo has been temporarily closed to the public following the incident that has left many in Ghana in shock.

Police have opened an investigation to establish the motive of the intruder and circumstances surrounding the attack.

A lion, a lioness and their two white cubs were in the enclosure when the incident happened.

"The lions have cubs so if you come too close they may feel you are trying to take away their babies," Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Benito Owusu Bio told journalists.

"We ask the public to desist from doing anything like this," he added.

The intruder scaled a 10-foot fence before climbing over another 20-foot one to enter the lions' enclosure, officials say.

The cubs - born after breeding a male and female lion with recessive traits called leucism, which is different to albinism - have been huge attractions to visitors at the zoo.

Only about a dozen white lions exist in the wild, according to the Global White Lion Protection Trust.

Lions are rarely found in the wild in Ghana, however researchers say a small population could be present in the northern Mole National Park and its surrounding environment.