Pakistan cracks down on illegal lion ownership

Keeping big pets is considered a status symbol in Pakistan. Authorities in Punjab confiscated eighteen lions that were being kept illegally as pets. The operation was launched after a lion escaped from a house in Lahore and attacked a woman and two children. The lion, which was kept without a license, was sent to a local safari park. The owner was arrested, and keeping a lion without legal requirements can lead to up to seven years in jail. In addition to confiscating the lions, authorities raided 38 lion and tiger breeding farms and arrested eight people for violating the rules. There are over 500 lions and tigers in homes and breeding farms in Punjab, which will be inspected by the end of the week. Despite the high fees, keeping exotic animals is seen as a status symbol among some wealthy Pakistanis.

According to the source: Times of India.