Unlicensed lion owner arrested

Action follows injuries to three residents of neighbourhood

LAHORE:

Punjab Wildlife Department officials, with the assistance of local police, have arrested a man for keeping an African lion without a licence in the Shah Di Khoi area of Lahore.

The lion has been relocated to a secure facility and legal proceedings have been initiated against the suspect.

The arrest follows an overnight incident, when the lion had escaped from a private enclosure and entered a residential neighbourhood, injuring three residents and causing panic, according to officials.

Lahore Region Deputy Chief Wildlife Officer Adnan Virk confirmed that the suspect had neither obtained a departmental permit nor complied with essential safety protocols. "Keeping wild animals in residential areas poses serious risks, and strict action will be taken against such individuals," he said.

The department has filed a case under the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act.

Unauthorised possession of dangerous wild animals without safety measures is a non-bailable offence, punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to Rs5 million.

Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb ordered a province-wide crackdown against those keeping wild animals unlawfully.