Lions savage famous red couch

An artist's lifelong work ended in shreds when he took his globe-trotting red couch into a lions' den.

Photographer Horst Wackerbarth has photographed more than 600 people sitting on his settee in 33 countries.



World leaders, including the Dalia Lama, ordinary people and even criminals have posed on the couch over the last 30 years.

But when he took it into the lion enclosure in Duisburg Zoo, the red couch was destroyed in minutes by male Piefke and his female mates.



"Piefke and the females wrecked the couch right down to the frame. Wham! They attacked it immediately and kept it going for two hours.

"This shows that the instincts of the wild are all still there in animals being cared for by man," said Horst, who has rebuilt the sofa.