The incident occurred in Johar Town, where a lion kept at a private farmhouse in the Shah Di Khoi area jumped over a wall and attacked pedestrians on the street. The attack left a woman and two children injured. Both children are currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.
Taking immediate notice of the incident, CM Maryam directed the Punjab government to provide Rs500,000 in compensation to each of the injured individuals.
Read More: 18 illegally kept ‘pet’ lions seized
After the incident, the Punjab Wildlife Department officials seized 18 lions from cities across the province during a crackdown against the illegal keeping of lions and other dangerous wild animals. The officials also arrested five people, registered five FIRs and launched investigations into two additional cases.
The largest operation took place on July 5 in Lahore, where Punjab Wildlife Director General Mubeen Elahi led a team to raid a private breeding farm located on Bedian Road.
The raiding team seized five lions — three male and two female — from the premises. The raid was part of a series of inspections that targeted illegal big cat ownership in major cities.
According to the DG, nine lions were taken into custody in Lahore, where four people were arrested, one private enclosure was sealed and three FIRs were registered.
Also Read: Punjab to ban sale and begin sterilization of privately owned big cats
Earlier, in a landmark move aimed at controlling the population of dangerous wild animals in private possession, the Punjab government announced that it will enforce the sterilisation of lions, tigers, leopards, and other big cats.
A ban on the commercial sale and purchase of these species will also be introduced as part of a phased regulatory initiative.
In an exclusive interview with Express News, Elahi revealed that, for the first time, the province is implementing a regulatory framework to govern the private ownership of big cats.
Owners were given a deadline of May 2 to declare their animals. As of now, 180 registered wildlife breeding farms have declared their stocks, with verification currently underway. To date, 40 of these facilities have been verified.