A British wildlife park owner is recovering in hospital after he was mauled by a lion when he entered its enclosure.

Bystanders filming the encounter captured the moment that the big cat suddenly turned on Mike Hodge, grabbing him and pulling him to the ground as the keeper tried to flee.

The footage records screaming from onlookers and shots ringing out as the lion drags him towards bushes at Marakele Animal Sanctuary in Thabazimbi, South Africa.

South African Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said that Mr Hodge suffered neck and jaw wounds in the attack on Monday.

"The owner was immediately taken to hospital with serious injuries. He is currently recuperating," he added.

It is understood that the lion was killed.

Mr Hodge had entered the lion's enclosure over concerns about a smell in the compound that was upsetting the creature, according to a report in The Sun Online.

The animal park's website states Mike and Chrissy Hodge moved to South Africa from the UK in 1999 and opened their lion project in 2003.

Realising a need for a tourist attraction closer to the town of Thabazimbi, they eventually opened the Marakele Animal Sanctuary in December 2010.

A friend who did not want to be named told the Sun Online: "He is no fool around lions and knows how to interact with them but clearly something went wrong."