ISLAMABAD, May 27 — Pakistani authorities have confiscated two African lions after a man paraded one of them through the streets for a TikTok video, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
The incident caused panic and fear among residents over the weekend in Gujranwala district of Punjab province.
The man was seen wielding an automatic rifle while walking along busy streets with the chained animal.
“We have arrested the man involved in the TikTok stunt and confiscated two African lions from his possession,” Mohammad Rizwan, spokesperson for Punjab Wildlife Department, told dpa on Tuesday.
Rizwan said that the man could face up to seven years in prison for illegal possession of lions and putting lives of the public in danger.
There are more than 100 private breeding houses in Punjab, and scores of people also keep big cats including tigers and cheetahs in their homes.
“No one is be allowed to keep lions at homes and in densely populated residential neighbourhoods,” Rizwan said.
Last month, the government in Punjab launched an app asking people to register big cats in a bid to regulate ownership. The exact number of big cats in the province is not yet known.
Earlier this year, a pet lion was shot dead after it escaped from its cage and roamed the streets in Lahore.
The trade in wild animals is a roaring business in Pakistan. The demand is partly fuelled by internet videos showing owners coddling them and even parading big cats through public places and at political rallies as a symbol of power. — Bernama-dpa
