KEY POINTS
- Pakistani authorities arrested several suspects following a lion attack in Lahore
- New regulations ban keeping big cats without licences and proper safety measures
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities in Punjab have confiscated 18 illegally kept lions from private homes and breeding farms, following a terrifying incident in Lahore last week where an escaped pet lion attacked a woman and two children.
The crackdown, launched after the attack, is part of a wider effort to curb the unlawful ownership of big cats across the province.
The woman suffered scratches and bruises, while the children, aged five and seven, were rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials confirmed.
The rogue lion, housed without a licence in a private Lahore residence, was swiftly captured and relocated to a local safari park, said Mubeen Elahi, Director General of the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department.
The lion’s owner was arrested, followed by a province-wide crackdown against the unlawful keeping of big cats, fuelled by social media culture where exotic animals are flaunted as symbols of status and power.
“Under the new regulations, no individual is permitted to keep lions without a proper licence, appropriate cage sizes, and strict adherence to safety protocols,” Elahi emphasised. “Violations can lead to penalties of up to seven years in prison.”
The crackdown has been sweeping: officials raided 38 lion and tiger breeding farms, apprehending eight more suspects violating the law.
A thorough inspection of all farms, home to an astonishing 584 lions and tigers across Punjab, is underway and expected to conclude by the week’s end.
The recent crackdown, launched under directives from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, reflects a zero-tolerance stance.
Over 22 locations have been inspected so far, with five individuals arrested and 13 lions seized during the initial phase of the operation.
A government press release hailed the efforts as a “major province-wide operation” aimed at eradicating the dangerous practice of illegal big cat ownership.
