A pet lion on Friday chased and attacked a woman and two children down a busy street in Lahore, Pakistan, in a dramatic incident captured on CCTV footage. The big cat was seen leaping a wall before pouncing on its victims.
The CCTV footage, released by police, showed the lion jumping a barrier around its home and pursuing a woman carrying her shopping on Thursday night. The lion then jumped on her back, knocking her to the ground. A police report, quoting the father of the children, stated that the lion subsequently turned its attention to his five-year-old and seven-year-old children, clawing their arms and faces.
All three injured individuals were taken to the hospital and are reportedly in stable condition. Disturbingly, the father’s report also alleged that the owners, who emerged from the house, appeared “amused to see their lion attack” the passersby.
Police confirmed on Friday that they have arrested three men in connection with the incident. “The suspects fled from the spot, taking the lion with them. They were arrested within 12 hours of the incident,” the office of the Deputy Inspector General Operations in Lahore told AFP. The 11-month-old male lion has been confiscated by authorities and sent to a wildlife park, where officials state the animal appears to be in good health.
The practice of keeping exotic animals, particularly big cats, as pets has long been viewed as a symbol of privilege and power in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province. This incident follows a similar event in December 2024, when an adult lion escaped its enclosure in another Lahore neighborhood, causing terror before being shot dead by a security guard.
That previous incident prompted the provincial government to enact new laws regulating the sale, purchase, breeding, and ownership of big cats. These laws now mandate that owners obtain licenses for such animals, which are explicitly barred from being kept in residential areas. Breeders are required to pay a substantial registration fee, and farms housing these animals must be a minimum of 10 acres in size. Reports from July 1, 2025, indicate that the Punjab Wildlife Department has launched a province-wide verification campaign to ensure compliance with these new regulations. Unregistered animals face confiscation, and illegal ownership can lead to up to seven years in prison and a fine of Rs 5 million.
