Lion flees in heavy traffic in the Pakistani city of Karachi
An adult lion escaped from a private vehicle amid heavy traffic in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Tuesday, sparking panic for two hours before being recaptured, police said.
The lion was being transported by its owner as it fled down the busy port city’s main street during rush hour, the police statement said.
“Our teams rushed here immediately. Praise be to Allah he is safe with us and no one is in danger now,” wildlife inspector Mukhtyar Soomro told Reuters at the scene of the lion’s capture.
The escaped lion had found its way into the basement of a nearby building after wandering the street for some time.
A massive traffic jam ensued in the area, media vehicles arrived at the scene to cover the incident and crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the escaped lion, a Reuters witness said.
The Wildlife Department said the lion was brought to its property because keeping lions in residential areas is illegal.
“The owner of the lion has been arrested and a case is being instituted against him,” Police Chief Inspector Shiraz Nazir said in a statement.
Keeping wild cats as pets is not uncommon in Pakistan, where wealthy businessmen are known to run private zoos and sometimes put the animals on public display.
In 2017, Pakistani police arrested a man who was taking his lion for a night drive through the streets of Karachi.
Images of the lion went viral on social media, with users expressing concern, but many others saw the more positive side of the incident.
“Lion strolls leisurely through Karachi as if he knew that the law of the jungle rules here,” posted a user of the messaging platform X, referring to the high crime rate on the city’s streets.
