A domestic lion escaped Thursday July 3, 2025 in Lahore, Pakistan, slightly injuring a woman and two children whom he chased in a residential street. Three men were arrested and the animal, 11 months old, was seized and then transferred to a nature reserve.
A domesticated lion who had escaped a woman and two children in a lively street in Lahore, a city of 13 million inhabitants in the east of Pakistan, before jumping on them, police announced on Friday.
Surveillance images broadcast by the police show the leaping lion over the wall of his house and then chasing a woman who wore her shopping on Thursday evening.
The lion jumped on him, projecting it to the ground. The father explained that the lion had then turned to his children, aged five and seven, scribble their arms and face, according to a police report.
No seriously injured
The three victims were taken to the hospital, but were not seriously injured. The father added that the owners of the lion had left the house and had “amused to see him attack” passers -by.
Police said Friday that they had arrested three men. “The suspects fled by taking the lion. They were arrested within 12 hours of the incident”the police told AFP.
The lion, an 11 -month -old male, was confiscated and sent to a nature reserve. The reserve staff indicate that the animal seems to be healthy.
A symbol of privilege
Having exotic animals, such as large felines, for pets has long been considered a symbol of privilege and power in Punjab, the most populous province in the country.
Last December, an adult lion escaped from his enclosure in another district of Lahore, terrorizing the inhabitants before being shot by a security guard.
The incident had encouraged the province’s government to pass new laws to regulate the sale, purchase, breeding and property of felines.
The law now requires owners to obtain a permit for animals that it is prohibited to keep in residential areas.
Breeders must pay significant fees for registration, while farms must have an area of ​​at least ten hectares.
