ISTANBUL

Eighteen lions kept illegally as pets have been confiscated in Pakistan’s northeastern Punjab province, local media reported on Monday.

The development came as authorities launched a crackdown after a lion attacked and injured two children and their mother on Thursday night in Lahore, the provincial capital, according to the daily Dawn.

Since then, according to the Express Tribune, another daily, 18 big cats have been confiscated from unregistered premises in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan, and eight individuals have been arrested.

Badr Munir, a wildlife conservationist, praised the crackdown, stating that nowhere in the world are dangerous animals kept as pets in residential homes.

“Unfortunately, in Pakistan, it has become a bizarre status symbol—people drive around with big cats, make TikTok videos, and then panic when one escapes or attacks,” the Tribune quoted him as saying.

Although official records list 587 registered big cats in Punjab, officials suspect the real number is much higher, citing widespread illegal ownership in both cities and rural areas.