A pet lion escaped from a home and chased a woman and two children down a busy street in Lahore, prompting Wildlife Department’s crackdown on people illegally keeping the big cats.
The woman and children suffered injuries but were saved by people on the street.
After the incident on the busy metropolis street police arrested three suspected owners of the cat as they fled the scene.
Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department said five individuals have been arrested and 13 lions seized in the province-wide crackdown for the people who violate the terms of big cat ownership.
“This operation is being carried out under a zero-tolerance policy and has already led to significant progress,” the Department disclosed stating that the operation has been launched on the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Inspection of 22 locations across the province led to arrests five individuals, who are being charged with violation of the law
Four lions each were recovered from Lahore and Gujranwala while two lions each were confiscated in Faisalabad and Multan cities.
Keeping exotic animals, especially big cats, as pets is considered a symbol of privilege and power in Punjab, the largest province.
In December 2024, an adult lion escaped from its enclosure in another neighborhood of Lahore, terrorizing residents before being shot dead by a security guard.
The incident prompted the provincial government to pass a new law regulating the sale, purchase, breeding and ownership of big cats.
The law requires owners to obtain licenses for keeping the animals at their homes only outside of the city residential areas.
Big cat breeders must pay a hefty fee for registration, while farms housing such animals have to be a minimum of 10 acres in size.
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