Caretaker cleared in lioness abuse case

RAWALPINDI:

In a controversial move by Punjab Wildlife Rangers, a caretaker of a licensed pet lioness was arrested after an old uploaded video resurfaced on social media.

However, when the suspect was presented before a court, it emerged that he had neither recorded nor shared the video, nor was he directly beating the lioness.

The court immediately discharged him from the case after the allegations in the FIR could not be substantiated.

According to sources, on Saturday, Wildlife Ranger officials registered a case at City Police Station under sections of the Punjab Wildlife Protection Act. Officials stated that a video had gone viral on social media on May 8 in which a man could be seen hitting and intimidating a lioness with a stick, an offence punishable under the Punjab Wildlife Act 2025.

Following this, authorities launched a search for the individual and traced Muhammad Hasnain, a resident of Bahawalpur currently living on Sardar Alam Khan Road. He was arrested and his mobile phone was taken into custody. Officials claimed that the suspect acknowledged the video after watching it.

However, when the accused was produced before the court, the judge discharged him from the case after finding that the allegations could not be proven.

Police sources said the Wildlife Rangers staff had acted against the caretaker after an old video resurfaced online. In the clip, the caretaker could allegedly be seen holding a stick while feeding a lioness at a farmhouse on Adiala Road and striking the ground to control the animal. The video had originally been uploaded on social media several years ago and recently went viral again.