Lockdown: Man comes closer to pet lions during crisis

Passion for wildlife and years of experience drive Zia Mahmood to spend time with big cats at home

LAHORE: During the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the provincial capital, citizens are struggling as they spend more and more time at home. People often become victims of boredom and feel as if they have nothing better to do during the lockdown enforced to curb the contagion.

The situation is, however, not the same for everyone: certainly not for Mian Zia Mahmood, a resident of Lahore who spends his time, during the lockdown, with his pet lions at his home.

Zia has had a passion for wildlife and years of experience taking care of peculiar pets. He spent a long time in Canada to fulfill this passion. His family has kept dozens of African lions, tigers, puma and other animals in their farmhouse. There are two lions and a puma at his residence in the provincial capital.

Zia earlier spent most of his days managing his business and he used to visit his pets once a week. However, he is now at home due to the lockdown. He said that he is busy all day at home with his ‘dangerous’ friends. Zia added, “We had a cub named Leo at our home since my childhood days and now it is a young lion.”



Earlier, he used to visit his pet lions occasionally and asked the employees about their health and diet. Ever since the coronavirus crisis began and the lockdown was imposed, he is at home and spends all his time with these lions. He maintained that the lockdown had affected his business but he is not getting bored at home as he is enjoying with his ‘friends’. Zia himself checks when and how much the lions need to be fed. These animals were already familiar with him but now their closeness had increased over the days.

Zia maintained that he had kept these animals due to his passion and this passion was priceless. “I have had more than a dozen lions, tigers and other animals which were worth millions of rupees,” he claimed. I spent millions of rupees monthly on the food of these animals, he explained. “My children also spend time with these animals at home. Leo was a baby when he first came to our home.”

Zia’s kids used to play with these animals and the pets are also familiar with the kids. “My children easily go to these animals because they are confident that the lion will not harm them,” he elaborated.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2020.