Justo Jose, 45, remains in intensive care with serious injuries after he climbed into the lions' den, where he was attacked by three of the animals for about half-an-hour before he could be rescued.
It has now emerged that that as well as being a former head of the municipal police force in Gelida near Barcelona, he had also spent 13 years working as a Civil Guard, but has been on paid leave from the force since earlier this year.
Jose told a local reporter earlier this year how he went on extended leave after he lost custody of his son, divorced his wife, and lost his mother.
He also described himself as a survivalist, claiming he slept in the countryside most nights with just a poncho to cover his face although friends let him use their homes to shave and wash.
In September he got past a police cordon at an official ceremony and set fire to a Catalan flag in front of TV crews.
Last month he was arrested in Barcelona city centre after draping banners emblazoned with Swastikas over the famous Casa Mila building in an anti-abortion protest.
Yesterday afternoon, Jose appeared by the lion enclosure at the zoo, dressed in military uniform, climbed over railings and began scaling one of the walls in the enclosure before being picked up by one of the animals and thrown into a pit.
The 45-year-old was rescued around 30 minutes later, covered in scratches and bite marks. He was taken to the city's Hospital de la Vall D'Hebron where he remains in a serious but not life-threatening condition.
According to Spanish reports, Jose climbed over fencing to enter the enclosure as horrified tourists watched on.
Footage of the bizarre incident shows him scaling one of the enclosure's walls before being tossed by the leg into a pit by a lioness.
He emerged some 30 minutes later after fire fighters used hoses to fight the animals off of him.
(dailymail.com)
ANN.Az
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