A lion attacked a wildlife department team in Faisalabad’s Jaranwala Road area, leaving one official seriously injured during a rescue operation, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Sunday.
According to officials, the wildlife team had reached Jalvi Market Darbar after receiving reports about the presence of lions in the area when a lion confined inside a cage suddenly attacked and mauled one of the team members.
The wildlife personnel were forced to retreat without capturing the animal, while the injured official was shifted to the Civil Hospital in critical condition.
The incident comes amid heightened concern over privately owned big cats in Punjab.
Following two separate incidents in Lahore during the past week in which pet lions attacked and injured children, the Punjab government has launched a province-wide crackdown against individuals keeping lions and tigers in private custody.
During operations conducted in Lahore, Multan, Jhelum and other districts, wildlife authorities have recovered a total of 59 lions and tigers, and cases have been registered against their owners.
Wildlife officials said that private wildlife breeding farms had earlier been granted time to upgrade cages and living facilities for lions and other dangerous wild animals in line with departmental standards. The ongoing crackdown was initiated after the expiry of that deadline, they added.