18 pet lions seized in crackdown across Punjab after lion goes on rampage in Lahore

Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province have confiscated 18 lions that were being kept illegally as pets, following a recent incident where one escaped and attacked a woman and two children.

According to provincial wildlife officials, the woman sustained scratches and bruises, while the children, aged five and seven, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after last week’s attack.

The lion, which was being kept without a license in a home in Lahore, was seized and transferred to a local safari park, said Mubeen Elahi, Director General of the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department. Police later arrested the animal's owner.

The incident has prompted a broader crackdown on the private ownership of exotic animals, a practice that has grown in popularity, partly due to social media where such pets are flaunted as status symbols.

Under newly enforced regulations, individuals are prohibited from keeping lions without proper licensing, adequate cage space, and compliance with official safety standards, Elahi explained. Violators face up to seven years in prison.

In addition to the confiscated lions, the department has raided 38 lion and tiger breeding facilities, arresting eight people for regulatory breaches. Elahi said all such farms in the province will be inspected by the end of the week.

Punjab, the most populous province in Pakistan, is currently home to 584 lions and tigers housed in private residences and breeding farms.

“I know many people who keep big cats just to show off,” said Qaim Ali, 30, who previously owned a lion but sold it after it attacked his nephew. “Most aren’t interested in breeding—they just want to display their power and status.”