The illusion of public safety stands shattered yet again. The recent lion attack in Lahore’s Johar Town has exposed how dangerously common and easy it is to keep exotic predators in residential areas, in open defiance of relevant laws. More troubling is the fact that the wildlife authorities had no knowledge of the big cat’s presence in the area until the attack. The shocking incident proves that such beasts do not belong in homes unless embalmed. It must serve as a warning, and demands a province-wide crackdown on all illegally kept wild animals to prevent future attacks.

CCTV footage of the horrific incident shows a young lion leaping over the boundary wall of a compound and attacking a woman and two children. Although seriously injured, the young siblings luckily survived the attack. The reaction of the lion’s owners, as described by witnesses, was as ugly as the attack itself, for they smirked while watching their ‘pet’ playing with its prey. They quickly secured the lion before the law enforcers could arrive, and sped away in a car. The saga ended with their arrest during a raid and the lion’s confiscation.

However, this is not the first time such an attack has occurred, and considering the social attitudes that treat wild animals as status symbols, it will not be the last. Multiple incidents have been reported in the past two years involving escaped exotic animals, especially lions, posing serious risks to public safety. Just seven months ago, a lion was shot dead on the orders of its owners after it escaped from a private enclosure in a residential area of Lahore. Other incidents involved big cats kept at farmhouses and private compounds attacking visitors and content creators, but no serious injury was reported, until now.

Concerted steps are required to end this madness and to dispel the impression that elite culture operates above the law. Instead of confiscating wild animals and slapping a fine, authorities must consider permanent bans and criminal trials for anyone bringing a lion into a neighborhood, for the beast is unpredictable and dangerous

The practice of keeping wild animals, especially big cats, has unfortunately transformed into a power symbol and a means to flaunt wealth. This is regardless of the fact that laws already exist to regulate the ownership, breeding, and housing of exotic species. Moreover, multiple revisions have been made to the Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act, 1974, with the latest updates specifically prohibiting license holders from keeping dangerous animals in residential areas. However, as always, implementation is the main problem. Judging by the frequency of such incidents, it appears either the licenses are being granted inappropriately, or animals are kept illegally with little consequence.

That serves no one. Concerted steps are required to end this madness and to dispel the impression that elite culture operates above the law. Instead of confiscating wild animals and slapping a fine, authorities must consider permanent bans and criminal trials for anyone bringing a lion into a neighborhood, for the beast is unpredictable and dangerous. Authorities must realize that although the victims of the latest attack survived with injuries, the next ones might not be so lucky. Still, one can only hope this incident is enough to shake the system awake.