A lion was caught on camera attacking a woman and her children after it escaped from its owners’ residence in Lahore, Pakistan. The dramatic event unfolded in broad daylight when the large cat leapt over a concrete wall and landed directly onto a busy street, immediately launching into chaos.
CCTV footage from last Wednesday shows the moment the lion bolted through the neighbourhood, terrifying pedestrians and prompting some to flee for cover. A woman, along with her five-year-old and her seven-year-old children, became the victims of the animal’s rampage.
The family were attacked and suffered multiple injuries to their faces and arms. Local authorities later confirmed the victims were in stable condition, according to BBC. The father of the children came forward with shocking allegations that the lion’s owners were at the scene during the attack, and rather than attempting to restrain the animal, they allegedly stood aside without intervening.
According to reports, the police arrested those responsible for the animal. They were charged with keeping a wild animal without a license and gross negligence. Officials also confirmed that the lion was safely captured and relocated to a wildlife park.
Keeping big cats and other exotic animals is not uncommon among Pakistan’s wealthy elite. Such pets are often viewed as status symbols, according to reports. While the law does allow ownership after a registration fee is paid, regulations require these animals to be kept outside city boundaries, guidelines clearly violated in this case.
Following the attack, authorities in Punjab have been enforcing the law even more. This has led to at least five more individuals being arrested for illegally owning wild animals. These cases resulted in the seizure of 13 lions that were being kept in unauthorised homes.
Another illegal wildlife possession case occurred in Janaury involving an influencer Rajab Butt, who was gifted a lion cub. The vlogger owns a YouTube page with over 5.6 million subscribers. He was ordered by authorities to use his platform to share animal welfare videos rather than being jailed or fined.
