Wildlife officials seize two lions in Gujranwala after TikTok stunt sparks outrage

Gujranwala: Two lions were captured from a Gujranwala home on Monday. The wild animals were being kept illegally by a resident.

The Punjab Wildlife Department registered a case under the Wildlife Act. A video went viral on social media showing a man, identified as Luqman, carrying firearms and parading a lion on a leash through a residential neighbourhood.

The footage caused panic among local residents, who feared the lion might attack someone. On the instructions of Wildlife Deputy Director Sheikh Zahid Iqbal, Senior Wildlife Ranger Muhammad Umair was tasked with locating the suspect and taking appropriate action.

A raid was carried out at a farmhouse in the Batala Sharam Singh area, where the two lions were found being kept illegally. According to Ranger Umair, the suspect had neither declared the animals to the authorities nor obtained any licence for their possession. A case has also been filed under the Wildlife Act against another individual, Muhammad Akram, who was present at the farmhouse.

However, Luqman, the man featured in the viral TikTok video, has not yet been arrested.