The victim was camping with other tourists at the tented resort when the early morning incident happened.

He was attacked when he stepped out of his tent to use the toilet, environment ministry spokesman Ndeshipanda Hamunyela told local news outlet Informante.

Other campers managed to scare off the lion but the man was already dead by then, he said.

Police were “attending the scene and a full report will be submitted in due course”, spokesman Elifas Kuwinga said.

Desert-adapted lions roam the remote northwest of the country where mountains and sand dunes meet.

In 2023, they were estimated to be around 60 adults and more than a dozen cubs.

But their numbers have dipped in recent months following a drought-induced drop in prey and conflict with humans.