CNN
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The owner of a pet lion has been arrested for attacking a woman and two children from Lahore, Pakistan.
The 5- and 7-year-old women and her two young children were taken to hospital after being attacked in an alleyway when a lion escaped from a farmhouse near the town of Johann on Thursday.
Security camera footage released by police showed a lion jumping up on a concrete wall, attacking the woman from behind and slamming it onto the ground. Before the wild cat descends further down the path where the children were attacked, a man is seen having a lion escaped with an object in hand, and a woman has escaped from the property where he chased the lion.
They had face and arm injuries, but are now in stable condition, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Lahore police said in a video posted on social media that the lion escaped from the open cage of the farmhouse and was recaptured by its owner.
Muhammad Faisal Kamran, assistant inspector of the Lahore Police Operation, said three people had been arrested on Friday morning. “We captured the lion and transferred it to the wildlife authorities,” Camran said.
Lahore police shared images of three men in police cells and put a video of the lion in a cage.
Local media reported that the owner does not have a license to maintain the lion and will be charged under the Wildlife Act. This means you could face a maximum sentence of seven years or a fine worth $17,500. CNN is seeking confirmation from Punjab’s Wildlife and Parks Department.
Owning a wild cat as a pet is considered a Pakistani status symbol and is not uncommon, but requires a license and large cats must be kept outside of the city’s sphere.
“This unfortunate incident highlights the maintenance of wildlife in such places without a license or permit, which puts the lives of many people at risk.
The Punjab government announced on Sunday that it is taking on statewide crackdown on people who keep lions unlicensed. To date, 13 lions have been captured and five individuals have been arrested for violating wildlife regulations.
