Pakistan launches crackdown on ‘pet’ lion ownership after woman mauled in Lahore street
Pakistani authorities confiscating ‘pet’ lions after woman and children attacked
- Pakistani authorities have initiated a crackdown on the illegal keeping of lions as pets, following an incident in Lahore where an escaped lion injured a woman and two children.
- The crackdown, ordered by Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz, has led to the confiscation of 18 “pet” lions and the arrest of eight people for violating wildlife regulations.
- Inspections are underway at breeding farms and homes across Punjab province, where over 580 big cats are believed to be kept, with all farms scheduled for inspection by the end of the week.
- The recent attack involved a lion kept illegally in a Lahore home; the animal was confiscated and relocated, and its owner was arrested.
- New regulations in Punjab prohibit individuals from keeping lions without a licence, adherence to required cage sizes, and standard operating procedures, with penalties including up to seven years in jail.