Cambodian officials confiscated a lion that was being unlawfully kept as a pet after it was shown in social media footage being hugged and cleaned.
According to officials, the animal was bought by a Chinese person and was being raised at a home in the Cambodian city of Phnom Penh. They began their inquiry in April after seeing a video of the 70kg (11st) lion on TikTok.
The 18-month-old animal was sent to a wildlife rehabilitation centre. Authorities have not stated whether or not the owner will face legal punishment.
Neth Pheaktra, a spokesperson of the environment ministry said that the pictures uploaded on TikTok showed the lion as a small cub resting on a driveway and being sprayed with a hose. ‘No one has the right to keep endangered species as pets,’ he added.
Wildlife Alliance, an animal rescue non-governmental organisation, wrote on Facebook that the ‘conditions at a residential home are inappropriate for a wild animal.’
‘In addition, the lion’s canine teeth had been removed, along with its claws, which drastically reduces a lion’s quality of life,’ it stated.
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