An adult lion escaped from a private vehicle amid heavy traffic in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Tuesday, causing panic for two hours before it was recaptured, police said.
The lion was being transported by its owner when it escaped on the main road of the bustling port city during rush hour traffic, according to the police statement.
“Our teams rushed here immediately. Praise be to Allah, he is with us safe and no one is in danger now,” wildlife inspector Mukhtyar Soomro told Reuters at the scene of the lion capture.
This video screenshot captures a lion escaping from a private vehicle in heavy traffic, in Karachi, Pakistan, August 29, 2023. REUTERS TV/via REUTERS
The escaped lion had reached the basement of a nearby building after wandering on the road for some time.
The area was engulfed in traffic with media vehicles arriving to cover the incident and crowds gathering to try to catch a glimpse of the escaped lion, a Reuters witness said.
The Wildlife Department said the lion had been brought into its enclosure, as keeping lions in residential areas was prohibited.
People carry a cage during the capture of the lion that escaped from a private vehicle in Karachi, Pakistan, August 29, 2023. REUTERS TV/via REUTERS
“The owner of the lion has been arrested and a case will be opened against him,” Senior Police Superintendent Shiraz Nazir said in a statement.
Keeping wild cats as pets is not uncommon in Pakistan, where wealthy businessmen have been known to run private zoos and sometimes put the animals on public display.
In 2017, Pakistani police arrested a man who took his pet lion for a nighttime stroll through the streets of Karachi.
Images of the lion went viral on social media with users expressing alarm, but many others saw the brighter side of the incident.
“Lion is comfortably strolling around Karachi as if he knows the law of the jungle rules here,” one user posted on messaging platform X, referring to the city’s high rate of street crime.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn