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A Pakistani man was mauled by a lion, leaving him severely injured, after he entered its cage reportedly to shoot a TikTok video.
The man, identified as Muhammad Azeem, was attempting to film the video with the lion at a breeding farm in the nation’s Punjab province, reported the Tribune Express News newspaper.
The incident happened as Mr Azeem, reported to be in his late 20s, entered the cage without the permission of the farm owner in Lahore and attempted to approach the lion, phone in hand, reports said.
However, the lion charged, causing him severe injuries to his face, shoulder, and arm.
The farm owner swiftly rescued him and rushed him to the nearby Jinnah Hospital, where he was receiving treatment.
The incident has prompted the Punjab Wildlife Department to order action against the farm owner.
The Director General of Wildlife said it has initiated legal proceedings against the farm owner and directed the cancellation of the farm’s license.
Keeping wild cats as pets is not uncommon in Pakistan, where wealthy businessmen have been known to operate private zoos and sometimes parade the animals for the public.
It comes a week after the Punjab government made amendments to the Wildlife Act 1974 to regulate the ownership and management of wild animals, such as lions and tigers. The amendments include a ban on keeping such animals in urban areas and prohibiting shooting TikTok or other videos with the wild animals.
Violators of wildlife protection laws will face fines of up to PKR500,000 (£1450).
Senior Punjab government minister Marryum Aurangzeb said the law now covers five species of big cats – lions, cheetahs, tigers, pumas, and jaguars.
“There had been no legislation for the past 70 years regarding the keeping of these animals, leading to their presence in homes,” she said.
“A strict ban has been imposed on displaying these animals on TikTok or other social media platforms. Minimum standards have been established for keeping them, and they must be housed outside city limits. Owners will be given time to relocate these animals; failure to comply will result in legal action and FIRs,” she added.
Wild and exotic animals such as snakes and rare birds are kept as pets by rich Pakistanis as many see it as a symbol of power and wealth. They are usually imported from countries like South Africa or bred within the country, raising concerns over animal safety and animal cruelty.
According to animal activists, while there are certain procedural requirements for importing wild animals into Pakistan there are no laws once they are inside the country. The laws which protect the rights of local animals did not extend to animals that were imported.
They say the trend of keeping wild animals as pets has only increased with the rise in the use of social media in the country in a race to increase followers.
In 2023, a pet leopard escaped and ran loose in a residential area in Islamabad, terrorising locals for days. Videos circulated on social media to show the wild cat jumping over walls and running around cars in a panicked frenzy. The animal was captured almost after six hours and three people were injured in the incident.
