LAHORE: The prime suspect in the shocking lion attack in Johar Town, Lahore, has been arrested and the lion has also been taken into custody, according to wildlife officials.
A shocking incident unfolded in Johar Town’s Shah Di Khoi area on Thursday night when a “pet lion” kept at a farmhouse escaped from its cage and attacked a woman and two children, leaving all three injured.
CCTV footage shows the lion jumping over the boundary wall of the farmhouse and attacking a woman walking on the street
A man from the farmhouse runs after the lion in an attempt to rescue the woman, but the lion moves on and injures two children, identified as 5-year-old Zoya, and 7-year-old Azhan, according to the footage.
Police have registered a case on the complaint of Muhammad Qaiser Bajwa, the father of the injured child Azhan.
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According to police, the FIR includes sections related to attempted murder, negligence in controlling a wild animal, and violations under the Wildlife Act.
As per the FIR, the lion jumped over the wall of a private property around 9 PM and entered the street, where it first attacked 5-year-old Azhan.
Hearing the noise, neighbors gathered at the scene, but the lion also attacked 7-year-old Zoha and 30-year-old Samina.
The FIR claims that individuals present near the scene watched the attack and seemed pleased, making no attempt to save the children or the woman.
According to police, the lion belonged to a farmhouse jointly owned by two brothers , Malik Azam alias Shani and Malik Nazim.
After the attack, the lion reportedly jumped back over the wall and returned to the private compound, while the suspects fled the scene with the animal.
Police have arrested one of the key suspects, and the Wildlife Department has taken the attacking lion into custody. Both the suspect and the lion will be presented in court.
Authorities said keeping a lion at a private residence is illegal, and strict legal action will be taken against those responsible.