On July 7, 2025, Punjab authorities seized 18 lions kept illegally as pets following a lion attack in Lahore that injured a woman and two children, prompting a province-wide crackdown.
A pet lion, kept without a license in a home in Lahore, attacked a woman and two children, aged five and seven, causing non-life-threatening injuries. The lion was confiscated and relocated to Lahore Safari Park, and the owner was arrested, according to Mubeen Elahi from the Punjab Wildlife Department. Authorities also seized a total of 18 lions during a raid on 38 breeding farms, arresting eight individuals for various violations. Currently, there are 584 big cats in homes and farms across Punjab.
A major public safety scare unfolded in Lahore's Shah Di Khoi area when a pet lion, illegally kept by a local resident, escaped and injured several people. The Punjab Wildlife Department swiftly captured the animal and launched legal proceedings against the owner, identified as… pic.twitter.com/1Pcw89nb09
— Asif Mehmood (@imasifmehmood) July 3, 2025On July 5, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered a crackdown with zero tolerance, inspecting 22 locations and seizing 13 lions. The new regulations now require licenses, appropriate cage sizes, and standard procedures, and violations can result in up to seven years in prison.
The trend of keeping lions as status symbols has surged, largely driven by social media, with 60% of Punjab’s elite owning big cats. In 2024, an incident in Lahore, where a lion killed a guard, prompted authorities to seize several such animals. Qaim Ali, a former lion owner, emphasised that these big cats are viewed primarily as symbols of power rather than for breeding purposes. Following a tightening of Pakistan’s wildlife laws after 2023, efforts are being made to curb illegal trade, as highlighted by WWF-Pakistan amidst ongoing global conservation concerns.
The Punjab crackdown, which affects 220 million residents, aims to address public safety and wildlife conservation, with 584 big cats at risk, according to the Punjab Wildlife Department.
