A man in South Africa who was mauled by a lion after allegedly being thrown into the animal's den has been charged with trespass.

The man told police yesterday he had been hurled into the lion enclosure by three rivals in love, but two zoo workers said they saw him climbing in by himself.

As the man was on parole from prison at the time and had failed to inform the authorities of his whereabouts, he was taken back to Pretoria prison as soon as he was released from hospital.

He had been undergoing treatment there for his injuries from the lion.