Overview

• A pet lion escaped a farmhouse in Jauhar Town on July 3 and mauled a mother and her two children, who suffered facial and arm wounds and are now in stable condition.
• Lahore Police arrested three individuals, including the lion’s owners, on charges of negligence and violations of the Punjab Wildlife Act.
• The lion was recaptured at the original property and has been transferred to a government-run wildlife park for secure care.
• The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department reports that 13 unlicensed lions have been seized and five additional owners arrested under tightened December 2024 licensing rules.
• Despite stricter laws banning big cats within city limits, experts cite weak enforcement and cultural prestige as drivers of continued illegal exotic-pet ownership.