[VIDEO] Animal cruelty

[daytrader]

Walrus Freya killed by Norway gets Oslo sculpture

Norway's capital Oslo has unveiled a statue of a walrus who was a popular attraction but was then put down because of public safety concerns.

The life-size bronze sculpture depicts Freya lying on her side on a shore.

"This is how humans treat wild nature, but it is also how humans treat humans. This is how we treated Freya. And so, I will call the statue For Our Sins," creator Astri Tonoian said.

An online campaign earlier raised $25,000 (£19,900) to make the statue.

"I started this because I'm furious about the way the [Norwegian] Fisheries Directorate and the state handled this situation," campaign organiser Erik Holm told the AFP news agency.

Freya - who weighed about 600kg (1,300lb) - was put down last August, triggering criticism across the Nordic nation.

The mammal rose to fame after clambering onto boats to sunbathe - sometimes sinking them.

The local authorities later said people had ignored warnings not to get too close to the animal, putting her and themselves at risk.

On one occasion, police blocked off a bathing area after the walrus chased a woman into the water, local media reported at the time.

Norway's fisheries ministry also issued a photograph of a large group of people, including children, standing within touching distance of the animal.

...
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65439294

 

[daytrader]

Six more lions speared to death by Kenyan herders just days after one of the country's oldest lions was killed
Residents near Kenya's nature reserves say that lions and other animals kill livestock and domestic animals - a growing problem as humans and wildlife continue to compete for land and resources.

Six lions have been killed by herders in Kenya, just days after one of the country's oldest lions was also fatally targeted.

The six lions had killed goats and a dog in villages close to Amboseli National Park in Kenya's south, the country's wildlife service said.

They were speared to death on Saturday, three days after a 19-year-old male lion named Loonkiito was also killed by herders after wandering out of the national park in search of food.

Speaking about Saturday's deaths, Richard Bonham, executive chairman of Big Life Foundation Kenya, said the organisation's rangers had tried to disperse a group of nine lions after they attacked the goats and dog at a homestead, but six had refused to leave.

Police, a vet, and representatives from the Kenya Wildlife Service arrived on the scene, and it was decided that the remaining lions should be kept in the Big Life Foundation compound until the following night, when they could leave safely in darkness.

Mr Bonham said: "Over the course of the day, a crowd continued to build, and tensions spilled over as dozens of people broke through the compound fence, spearing all six lions.

"Many members of the crowd were armed with spears, and any intervention by KWS, the Kenya Police Service, or Big Life would have risked escalation of an extremely volatile situation, and almost certainly resulted in human injury or death.

...
https://news.sky.com/story/six-more...the-countrys-oldest-lions-was-killed-12881244

 

[daytrader]

SHEIKHUPURA: FOUR CIRCUS LIONS RECAPTURED AFTER FLEEING CAGE

Four circus lions who escaped from their cage in Sheikhupura, have been recaptured by the circus staff, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Rescue sources said, four lions escaped the circus after the cage in which they were kept was broken due to strong winds in Sheikhupura’s Mela Pir Bahadur Shah area on Wednesday night.

However, their freedom remained short-lived as all of them were recaptured by the circus staff.

Panic prevailed in the area as the lions entered the residential area after the escape. They roamed freely in the streets for an hour and also entered nearby houses.

Police and rescue teams reached the spot and captured the lions. Police sources said that no one was injured in the incident.

ARY

 

[WicketLord]

The owner of the lion that roamed on Shahrah-e-Faisal was asked to visit the Karachi Zoo on Friday after the animal refused to eat in the cage he was put in.

Abdullah was asked to visit the zoo and feed the lion, which was handed over to the zoo after it escaped his vehicle on August 29. Upon seeing his owner, the lion hugged Abdullah who fed the lion inside the cage.

Abdullah and four others were booked by the provincial wildlife department after the lion escaped their vehicle and strolled on Shahrah-e-Faisal near Ayesha Bawani College.

The wildlife department said that the suspects were moving the lion and a turtle illegally in a car when the lion escaped. It attacked a man as well who fortunately remained safe.

The lion had refused to eat at the hands of zoo management and was starving for two days, after which the zoo management requested Abdullah to visit the lion at the zoo.

After successfully feeding the lion, the management requested Abdullah to daily visit the zoo and feed the lion.

Karachi lion and owner reunite at Karachi Zoo

The animal had refused to eat for two days

www.aajenglish.tv

 

[WicketLord]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1698260170118512854

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Thankfully the man was rescued from the attack or else it could have been fatal.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Thankfully the man was rescued from the attack or else it could have been fatal.

The Lion seems very domesticated as it wouldnt eat at the Zoo until his owner was summoned.

This is very sad, as the big cat is very attached to owner, so must be suffering from some sort of depression.

I know some guys from Azad Kashmir who have lions in their houses. I told them its not right, cruel but people dont understand the mental pain animals go through in such conditions.

 

[daytrader]

Switch in fishing methods saves thousands of dolphins
New fishing technique has drastically cut down entanglement, deaths of endangered species
KARACHI:
In 2013, at least 12,000 dolphins were killed in Pakistani territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, caught in the massive nets cast by fishermen.

Those gill nets, locally known as “bither,” were notorious for their high level of bycatch.

Pakistan’s territorial waters are home to 25 kinds of dolphins, notably spinner, bottlenose and tropical dolphins – and these endangered creatures were falling prey to the nets in massive numbers.

In just five years, however, the number of dolphins killed had plunged exponentially to a mere 186.

Behind that drastic reduction was a small but crucial shift from that conventional fishing method – subsurface gill nets instead of the surface ones.

As part of a pioneering project launched in 2012, over 700 local fishermen were trained to use the other type of nets, and the results of the change become evident over time, Mohammad Moazzam Khan, technical adviser for WWF-Pakistan, told Anadolu.

Since 2018, according to Khan, who headed the project, deaths of dolphins due to entanglements have become “extremely rare, if not zero.”

“There were no previous estimates or studies. It was believed that dolphins were being killed by these fishing nets, but there were no counts made until 2012,” he said.

However, despite the massive difference with the shift in fishing methods, dolphins are still considered an endangered species, as some 100,000 are still killed annually in the Indian Ocean alone, Khan added.

Switch in fishing methods saves thousands of dolphins | The Express Tribune

New fishing technique has drastically cut down entanglement, deaths of endangered species

tribune.com.pk

 

[daytrader]

‘Suffered enough’: Calls grow to save distressed bear in Karachi Zoo
Wildlife activists want Himalayan brown bear captive in Karachi Zoo to be moved to sanctuary, some officials resistant

KARACHI:
Wildlife activists and experts have sounded the alarm over the life of Rano, a lone female Himalayan bear crammed in a small cage at a zoo in Karachi.

The calls come on the heels of the death of a female African elephant in April this year due to “inappropriate” conditions at the same facility, prompting local and international organisations to push for immediate steps to save other animals from a similar fate.

Also known as the Himalayan red bear, the Himalayan brown bear is a subspecies of the brown bear found in the western Himalayas. It is the largest mammal in the region, with males reaching up to 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) in length, while females are a little smaller.

The bear, whose natural habitat is the cold alpine meadows of Deosai National Park and other mountain regions of northern Pakistan, is a critically endangered species with only 150 to 200 left in the country, mainly because of human intrusion and the ravages of climate change.

Languishing in a barren cage, Rano was brought to the Karachi Zoo in 2017 along with an Asiatic black bear who died in 2020.

Her cage has two small chambers and an open courtyard with a tiny pond in the middle. The weather-beaten bear’s coat has already started losing its colour due to the hot and humid weather of the city.

In the wild, she would spend her days foraging for flowers, fruits, berries, grasses, insects, and small mammals such as the marmot.

Today, she paces back and forth in a corner of her cage as a small crowd huddle around for a better look.

‘Suffered enough’: Calls grow to save bear in Karachi Zoo | The Express Tribune

Wildlife activists want Himalayan brown bear captive in Karachi Zoo to be moved to sanctuary, some officials resistant

tribune.com.pk

 

[daytrader]

Record set as 210-kg marlin caught off Karachi
It took senior angler Khalid four hours to catch the fish

KARACHI:
A new record of fish hunting has been set in Pakistan after a marlin weighing 210 kilogrammes was caught from the open waters in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Karachi.

According to Ahmed Mamour Amimi, the president of Pakistan Boat Rally and Fishing Association, senior angler Khalid caught a marlin (locally called Khadda) weighing 210 kg in the open sea near the continental shelf, 150 kilometres off the shoreline of Karachi.

He added that the fish was five feet wide and 10.5 feet long.

“It took four hours to hunt this giant fish,” he added.

It should be noted that marlin is one of the largest species of fish in the world.

Not only is it one of the largest fish in the ocean, it is also considered one of the fastest -- capable of travelling at speeds of up to 68 miles per hour.

The biggest threat to marlin is commercial fishing along with the highly migratory pelagic fish.

The lifespan of marlins varies depending on the species and gender. The Atlantic blue marlin can live up to 27 years, while the blue marlin lives up to 15 years.

A blue marlin can grow to over 12 feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

Female blue marlins grow larger than males and may live up to 20 years.

The relatively high fat content of its meat makes it commercially valuable in certain markets.

The Pacific blue marlin has a longer lifespan, with males living at least 18 years and females living at least 27 years.

Record set as 210-kg marlin caught off Karachi | The Express Tribune

It took senior angler Khalid four hours to catch the fish

tribune.com.pk

 

[FearlessRoar]

The Bahawalpur division commissioner has formed a committee to probe the issue of death of a man in tigers’ cage at the Bahawalpur zoo.

The incident took place at Shair Bagh, a local zoo in Bahawalpur, on Wednesday.

Media reported that tigers had eaten a portion of flesh from the lower torso of the male body which was recovered by an employee. The employee spotted the body when he approached the cage to feed four tigers.

On being informed about the issue, the local government and the Rescue 1122 officials reached the spot.

Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has taken notice of the incident and directed the wildlife department secretary and the Bahawalpur commissioner to submit a report. The CM also ordered the security audit of the zoo.

The probe committee formed by Commissioner Dr Ehtasham Anwar comprises additional deputy commissioner (revenue), head of forensic department of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College (QAMC), Bahawalpur, Forest Conservator Sheikh Manzoor Ahmed, Punjab Forensic Science Agency’s local head, Rescue 1122 DEO, and in charge of the police crime scene investigation, Punjab.

Officials have been asked to submit a detailed report within a week.

Source: Dunya News

Committee to probe mauling incident at Bahawalpur zoo

The incident took place at Shair Bagh, a local zoo in Bahawalpur

dunyanews.tv

 

[FearlessRoar]

Pakistan Government should enhance zoo safety measures to prevent such incidents.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Local villagers killed a rare white leopard within the boundaries of Kirthar National Park on Monday night, officials said.

The Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) swiftly took action and registered a case against five individuals involved in the killing.

Sources revealed to The Express Tribune that the leopard was shot dead at approximately 12:30am, and photos of the incident were circulated on social media.

SWD officials, led by Deputy Conservator Wajid Shaikh, identified two of the villagers responsible as Qadar Bux and Ghulam Hussain Sonaro from the local community.

Shaikh expressed the department's commitment to apprehending the culprits, stating, "We will have to arrest these men." The SWD learned about the incident through social media, prompting a prompt response.

The killed animal was found in the village of Mohammad Ali Faqeer, within the jurisdiction of taluka Thana Bola Khan.

Deputy conservator confirmed the unprecedented nature of the incident, noting that a white leopard had never been sighted in the Kirthar National Park before. He speculated that the leopard might have migrated from Balochistan.

The last recorded sighting of a leopard in the area dates back to 1976.

The SWD is taking legal measures in response to this unfortunate incident. The dead leopard is being transferred to Hyderabad, where it will be presented before the court.

Express Tribune

Villagers kill rare white leopard | The Express Tribune

Locals claim the leopard mauled a number of goats in the village

tribune.com.pk

 

[hassan918]

Donkey’s ears severed in Rawalpindi district in another case of animal cruelty​

In a second incident of animal cruelty in as many weeks in the country, a donkey (jennet) had its ears severed in a village in Rawalpindi district, with its owner accusing another man of committing the brutality but police suspecting that the incident could be the culmination of longstanding enmity and land dispute.

According to first information report (FIR) filed 14 days after the incident took place at Rawat Police Station on Monday, a farmer named Tanveer Hussain, who is a resident of Dhakala Dakkhana, Saagri, stated that following the harvest of his last crop, the field was empty and so he let his donkey loose on his fields.

The animal would return home to drink water everyday but it did not do so on June 4, he said.

However, when it returned in the evening, Hussain noticed that its ears had been chopped off.

The FIR stated that Hussain asked the locals about the perpetrator. and everyone pointed towards Arshad Mehmood, a member of Hussain’s family, although they were reluctant to name him explicitly due to fear.

Hussain said he conducted his own investigation and found some evidence, which was handed over to the police.

Despite the incident occurring 14 days prior, Hussain’s case was only registered recently, with station house officer (SHO) Chaudary Zulfiqar telling Dawn.com that no arrests have been made so far but the investigation was ongoing and a conclusion would be reached soon.

Meanwhile, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Chaudhry Farrukh Shahzad, who is investigating the case, said that the suspect had filed a murder case against the plaintiff in 2005, accusing Hussain of killing Arshad’s father.

ASI Shahzad said that the “video evidence” submitted by the plaintiff only shows traces of blood outside the suspect’s residence, which he said was “insufficient to hold anyone guilty”.

Additionally, ASI Shahzad noted that there were ongoing land disputes between the parties, with Arshad having won four out of thirteen cases.

The accused, according to the ASI, is also suffering from back pain, which would make it difficult for him to pin down a donkey and cut off its ears.

Shahzad described the incident as suspicious and confirmed that the investigation was being conducted to cover all angles.

The case marks the second reported incident of animal mutilation in recent days. In an earlier case, a landlord chopped off a camel’s leg as punishment for foraging in his field in Sanghar.

Six suspects were remanded in police custody by a magistrate in Shahdadpur on Sunday.

Source: DAWN

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Donkey’s ear chopped off, spine broken by landlord

Another disturbing incident was reported from Wazirabad, Punjab, where a cruel landlord brutally tortured and cut off the ear of a donkey as punishment for scavenging in his field, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The police officials stated that a case had been registered against the landlord, named Owais Gujjar, for breaking the spine of the donkey after brutally torturing him.

The local police took action after the video of the injured donkey went viral.

In the video shared on social media, the landlord can be seen torturing a donkey.

Similar to this, a donkey, who was subjected to severe torture in Hyderabad, died in Karachi’s Shelter home.

The donkey’s two legs were broken due to severe torture and was rushed to Karachi for treatment.

The news of the donkey’s death was shared by the NGO on social media.

It is to be noted that the donkey was tortured by its owner in a fit of anger that broke his two legs.

As per the details, another animal was brutalized in Hyderabad, the second largest city of Sindh, where the owner cut off the leg of another donkey over a dispute with the other donkey cart driver.


ARY News

 

[sweep_shot]

Donkey’s ear chopped off, spine broken by landlord

Another disturbing incident was reported from Wazirabad, Punjab, where a cruel landlord brutally tortured and cut off the ear of a donkey as punishment for scavenging in his field, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The police officials stated that a case had been registered against the landlord, named Owais Gujjar, for breaking the spine of the donkey after brutally torturing him.

The local police took action after the video of the injured donkey went viral.

In the video shared on social media, the landlord can be seen torturing a donkey.

Similar to this, a donkey, who was subjected to severe torture in Hyderabad, died in Karachi’s Shelter home.

The donkey’s two legs were broken due to severe torture and was rushed to Karachi for treatment.

The news of the donkey’s death was shared by the NGO on social media.

It is to be noted that the donkey was tortured by its owner in a fit of anger that broke his two legs.

As per the details, another animal was brutalized in Hyderabad, the second largest city of Sindh, where the owner cut off the leg of another donkey over a dispute with the other donkey cart driver.


ARY News

Terrible.

I hope the coward who did this will be punished.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

77 whales dead after mass stranding in Orkney

A pod of 77 pilot whales has died after a mass stranding on a beach in Orkney.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) rushed to Tresness beach on the Isle of Sanday just before 11am on Thursday to reports of a mass stranding of whales.

They found 77 whales, including several males up to 22ft (7m) long, as well as calves and juveniles.

Only 12 survived what is believed to be the largest mass stranding in Scotland since 1975.

However, on Friday, the BDMLR issued an update to say the surviving whales have been euthanised.

The statement said: "Sadly the remaining 12 pilot whales have been euthanised due to their condition deteriorating from the many hours they have spent stranded on the beach."

77 whales dead after mass stranding in Orkney

Only 12 of the whales stranded on Tresness beach on the Isle of Sanday were found alive, but have since had to be euthanised.

news.sky.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Another incident of animal cruelty surfaces in Sanghar

After a recent horrific incident involving a cruel owner who chopped off a camel’s leg for entering his fields, a similar case of animal cruelty emerged in Sanghar when a cow was shot in the leg over the same reason, ARY News reported on Friday.

The owner, Muharram Shar, claimed that his cow was shot by unknown individuals after it strayed into their fields. The incident occurred on the outskirts of Mangli village, within the jurisdiction of the local police station.

Shar claimed that the cow was found injured and taken to a veterinary doctor, who confirmed that the leg bone was fractured due to the gunshot wound.

Deputy Commissioner Sanghar has taken notice of the incident, and a team of police officials, including DSP and SHO, visited the scene to investigate. Two suspects have been detained for questioning.

Another incident of animal cruelty surfaces in Sanghar

SANGHAR: After a recent horrific incident involving a cruel owner who chopped off a camel’s leg for entering his fields, a similar case of animal cruelty

arynews.tv

 

[Cricket Warrior]

British crocodile expert Adam Britton jailed for raping, torturing and killing dozens of dogs

A prominent British crocodile expert has been jailed for 10 years and five months for raping, torturing and killing dozens of dogs.

Adam Britton, a zoologist based in Darwin, Australia, pleaded guilty to 56 charges of bestiality and animal cruelty at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory (NT) in September last year.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of accessing and transmitting child abuse material.

Britton, 52, whose sentencing suffered a series of delays, was on Thursday also banned for life from purchasing animals and having them on his property, Australian media reports.

His offending involved the torture and exploitation of 42 dogs, and the deaths of 39, in a shipping container on his property - which he used to film many of his crimes.

Britton will not be eligible for parole for six years, according to ABC.

Chief Justice Michael Grant described Britton's "grotesque" and "unspeakable" crimes against animals as he sentenced him.

The judge excused court officers during his sentencing remarks, as he warned the gallery that details of the offences could cause a "nervous shock or some other adverse psychological reactions".

He said: "Although I'm loathe to do so, given the gross depravity and perversity of your actions, it is necessary for the purpose of sentencing you to provide some generally representative detail and description of the offending conduct."

The court previously heard Britton had a "sadistic sexual interest" in animals, and in particular dogs.

As well as torturing his own dogs, he also sourced animals from unsuspecting pet owners in the Darwin region.

"He often built a rapport with the dog owners in negotiating taking custody of their animals, many of whom had to reluctantly give their pets away due to travel or work commitments," prosecutor Marty Aust told the court back in September.


SKY News

 

[Hitman]

A five-year-old son of a labourer was dragged away and mauled to death by a lion in Amreli district on Wednesday afternoon, a forest department official said.

The big cat was caged hours after the incident and shifted to an animal rescue centre.

The lion dragged away the child from a farm near Thordi village, said Range Forest Officer (RFO), Savarkundla range, Pratap Chandu.

The body of the victim, Gulsingh Harilal Ajnera, was found nearly 100 metres away from the spot, he said.

Following the incident, the forest department set up teams to trap the big cat who was caged by the evening and taken to a nearby animal rescue centre, Chandu added.

As per the census conducted in May 2025, Amreli district is not part of the traditional habitat of Asiatic lions who are inhabitants of the Gir National Park. The census recorded the presence of lions outside Gir National Park in 11 districts, including Amreli, of Saurashtra in non-forested and coastal areas.

The other ten districts where the presence of lions is recorded are: Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Botad.

The estimated population of Asiatic lions in their sole abode of Gujarat increased from 674 to 891 over the last five years, as per the census.

As many as 384 lions were counted in the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and 507 outside its limits.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/5-y...rm-mauled-to-death-by-lion-in-gujarat-8760290​

 

[Hitman]

RIP!

What a pathetic and creepy way to die. Just 5 years old.

 

[sweep_shot]

British crocodile expert Adam Britton jailed for raping, torturing and killing dozens of dogs

A prominent British crocodile expert has been jailed for 10 years and five months for raping, torturing and killing dozens of dogs.

Adam Britton, a zoologist based in Darwin, Australia, pleaded guilty to 56 charges of bestiality and animal cruelty at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory (NT) in September last year.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of accessing and transmitting child abuse material.

Britton, 52, whose sentencing suffered a series of delays, was on Thursday also banned for life from purchasing animals and having them on his property, Australian media reports.

His offending involved the torture and exploitation of 42 dogs, and the deaths of 39, in a shipping container on his property - which he used to film many of his crimes.

Britton will not be eligible for parole for six years, according to ABC.

Chief Justice Michael Grant described Britton's "grotesque" and "unspeakable" crimes against animals as he sentenced him.

The judge excused court officers during his sentencing remarks, as he warned the gallery that details of the offences could cause a "nervous shock or some other adverse psychological reactions".

He said: "Although I'm loathe to do so, given the gross depravity and perversity of your actions, it is necessary for the purpose of sentencing you to provide some generally representative detail and description of the offending conduct."

The court previously heard Britton had a "sadistic sexual interest" in animals, and in particular dogs.

As well as torturing his own dogs, he also sourced animals from unsuspecting pet owners in the Darwin region.

"He often built a rapport with the dog owners in negotiating taking custody of their animals, many of whom had to reluctantly give their pets away due to travel or work commitments," prosecutor Marty Aust told the court back in September.


SKY News

10 years is too less.

He should've received a much harsher sentence for what he did to those poor dogs.

 

[Hitman]

Lion's owner arrested after it attacked woman and children in Pakistan

The owners of a pet lion that escaped from a farmhouse and injured a woman and her two children in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore have been arrested, authorities said on Sunday.

The arrest came after dramatic video footage emerged showing the lion leaping over a wall and attacking the victims in a residential area.

Faisal Kamran, a police official, said the woman and her five- and seven-year-old children sustained injuries to their faces and arms on Wednesday night when the lion escaped from its cage.

According to a police report, the children’s father said the lion’s owners had stood by and watched as the animal clawed at his family, making no effort to restrain it. The lion later returned to the owners’ farmhouse and was relocated to a wildlife park, police said.

Keeping exotic animals such as lions is considered a status symbol by some wealthy Pakistanis, despite the legal requirements and high fees associated with ownership.

In Turkey, a lion that escaped from a theme park near the resort of Antalya was shot dead on Sunday after attacking a man, the local governor and media reports said.

The lion, reportedly named Zeus, escaped his enclosure at the Land of Lions animal theme park in Manavgat, about 40 miles (65km) east of Antalya, in the early hours of the morning, the governor said.

According to the BirGün newspaper, the lion attacked an agricultural worker called Suleiman Kir who was asleep in a pistachio field with his wife. Kir tussled with the lion before it ran off. He was injured but not badly and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

“We were covered with blankets to protect ourselves from mosquitoes and when the prayer call sounded, I tried to stand up but I couldn’t,” he told the newspaper. “Suddenly I felt something touch my left foot and when I eventually managed to get up, I saw it was something huge – I thought it was a dog.”

In a video posted online, he described the moments wrestling with the lion. “We called for help but there was no one around. As the lion was biting my calf and my neck, I grabbed him around the neck and began to squeeze and he backed off. At that moment, the security forces came,” he said. “If I had not been strong, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Antalya’s governor said the lion had been tracked down and shot dead. “It was not possible to catch the escaped lion alive because it posed a danger to people and the environment, so it was shot,” he said.

He indicated that an investigation had been opened into the incident. BirGün said there were about 30 big cats at the Land of Lions.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...lahore-pakistan-woman-children-injured-attack​

 

[Cricket Warrior]

This is bound to happen when you keep a wild animal in a densely populated area.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1942282468385583229

 

[Ball Blazer]

Lion cubs among 23 wild cats rescued in Punjab wildlife crackdown​

An illegal network involved in the sale and purchase of big cats, including lions, tigers, and leopards, has dismantled by Punjab Wildlife Rangers.

In a series of operations, authorities recovered 23 big cats, several of them hidden in private homes. Among the seized animals were multiple lion cubs, officials confirmed.

In Lahore, Wildlife Rangers have rescued five lion cubs from a posh residential area where they were being secretly kept.

According to wildlife authorities, it has become increasingly common for individuals to buy newborn lions and tigers from private breeding farms as a hobby.

A single cub is sold for between Rs800,000 and Rs1 million, they said.

Valued for their exotic appearance, many of these animals are kept inside homes. However, officials warn that by six months of age, the cubs begin to exhibit wild behaviour, posing safety risks to both owners and surrounding communities.

Officials revealed that some breeding farm owners were illegally relocating cubs from their facilities and selling them through unlicensed channels. Following a series of targeted crackdowns, authorities now say that this underground market has been dismantled.

Additional Director General of the Punjab Wildlife Rangers, Syed Kamran Bukhari, stated that wild animals will only be allowed in captivity under the protocols of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). He emphasised that, under WAZA regulations, dangerous wild animals cannot be kept in residential areas under any circumstances.

Bukhari confirmed that operations against individuals keeping lions and tigers illegally are still ongoing.

Of the 23 animals recovered so far, 12 were seized in Lahore, four in Gujranwala, two in Faisalabad, three in Multan, and one each in Rawalpindi and other districts. These enforcement actions have led to the arrest of eight individuals and the registration of seven criminal cases.

In Punjab, a total of 582 big cats have been officially declared as being in private possession. Lahore accounts for the largest number with 198, followed by Multan with 129, Rawalpindi with 104, Gujranwala with 86, Faisalabad with 20, the Salt Range with 26, Gujrat with nine, Bahawalpur with six, and one each in Sahiwal, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Sargodha. Wildlife authorities say verification of these animals is currently underway.

Registered wildlife breeding farms have been given a three-month deadline to rectify shortcomings in their facilities and bring their operations into full compliance with legal and safety standards.

Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/255620...ild-cats-rescued-in-punjab-wildlife-crackdown

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Big cat owners hide their animals amid Pakistani crackdown

The smell hanging in the air is the first sign there's something unusual about the farmhouse on the outskirts of one of Pakistan's largest cities, Lahore.

Once inside, the cause becomes clear: the property is home to 26 lions, tigers and cubs – and belongs to Fayyaz.

The rain, he says, has turned the ground into mud.

But the animals are "happy here", he insists. "When they see us, they come over, they eat... they're not aggressive."

Almost instantly, one of the lions roars.

"That one is aggressive, it's his nature," Fayyaz says.

Fayyaz loves big cats. From this facility – thought to be the largest of its kind in private hands nationwide – the 38-year-old has sold cubs and breeding pairs for the last 10 years. He is widely considered to be one of the biggest lion dealers in Pakistan.

For decades these animals – lions, tigers, pumas, cheetahs and jaguars – have been a sign of power, status and even political fealty in the country. The tiger, for example, is a symbol of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

More recently, with the dawn of short video social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, there's been a surge in ownership, with lions now sometimes even brought along to wedding events.

But in the wake of a pet lion escaping and attacking a woman and her two children as they walked down the street in Lahore, the government has launched a crackdown – one which is already impacting people like Fayyaz.

Big cat owners hide their animals amid Pakistani crackdown

Punjab rangers launch raids after one pet lion escaped and attacked a woman and two children.

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