KARACHI – A lion roaming on Sharea Faisal on Tuesday was captured and handed over to the Sindh Wildlife Department, police said.
The area saw a massive traffic jam with media vehicles arriving at the scene to cover the incident and crowds gathering to catch a glimpse of the escaped lion.
South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sheraz Nazir said the animal was being taken to a veterinarian in a loader vehicle when it “escaped” near Aisha Bawany College in the evening and hid under another vehicle in a parking area.
Police cordoned off the area after the incident while the wildlife department and Karachi Metropolitan authorities were asked to send animal control personnel, he said, adding that the lion’s owner, Shamsul Haq, was also taken into custody and subsequently handed over to the Sindh Wildlife Department.
“They will file a case against him,” the official said.
SSP Nazir said Haq was a resident of the Garden area and told police he was taking the lion to a veterinarian because the animal was sick and not eating anything for the last three days.
“He claims that he kept the lion, along with other animals, at a farmhouse on the highway. A wildlife team will check that premises,” he added.
The SSP said it seemed that precautions were not taken while transporting the animal as it was not chained when it escaped.
Earlier, Sindh Chief Wildlife Conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar said a wildlife team was dispatched to Sharea Faisal after they received reports of a lion’s presence there.
The video of the incident went viral on social media. It shows the wildcat walking on the road with vehicles passing.
After having a stroll on the road, the big cat entered the parking area of a building where efforts were made to cage it.
Karachi me Waqae me Sherrr Agya! :O :O :O :O :O :O#Karachi #Lions #Lion #ImranKhan #NawazSharif #Trending pic.twitter.com/bsNELrby7D
— Waleed Mazhar (@WaleedMazhar10) August 29, 2023
A man in black dress was seen in the video trying to soothe the lion before it was captured by the wildlife personnel.
