A viral video on the Tiktok social media platform showing the abuse of an African male lion caused rapid action of the Punjab fauna department. The officials seized the lion, while the suspect remains in freedom.
In the widely broadcast video, a young man, identified as Muhammad Usman, son of Muhammad Shahid, can be seen illegally keep and harass an African male lion in an urban area.
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Acting under zero tolerance policy, the Punjab fauna rangers in Gujranwala, under the instructions of the fauna of wildlife, led a raid in collaboration with the local Sadar police station, Gujranwala.
According to the chief of the chief fauna of the Ranger Gujranwala, Sheikh Muhammad Zahid, the suspect managed to escape while melting into a crowd of spectators during the operation. However, the authorities succeeded in an adult African male lion in detention.
The Punjab fauna department recorded a case against Muhammad USMAN under the relevant sections of the 1974 fauna law and articles 186 and 506 of the Pakistan Criminal Code. Pending the outcome of the case, the confiscated lion was transferred to Adil Wildlife Breeding Farm.
The managers of the fauna department stressed that keeping fauna illegally and submitting animals to harassment in an urban environment is intolerable. They reiterated their commitment to pursue strict application measures against such violations.
The last confiscation followed a previous incident in Gujranwala, where two African lions were placed in police custody after a Tiktok video has become viral showing that parades in a residential area alongside automatic firearms.
In the images, a man identified as Luqman – known online under the name of “Loha” – was seen while walking a chained lion in the Batala Sharam Singh region, raising concerns about public security and animal welfare.
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Responding to the incident, the deputy director of the Gujranwala fauna rangers, Sheikh Zahid Iqbal, had ordered immediate action. A team led by the Senior Wildlife Ranger Muhammad Umair traced the lions on a private farm, where they were held without any permit or documentation under the Punjab Wildlife Act.
Wildlife managers confirmed that no valid registration had been submitted to animals, which led to their withdrawal by the authorities.
