Lioness mauls teenage farm worker - The Express Tribune

A 19-year-old farm worker was mauled to death by a lioness at a farmhouse in the Kahna area, prompting police to arrest the property owner and a TikToker who was reportedly visiting the premises to record a video.

The victim, Talha, suffered fatal injuries when the lioness attacked him during the visit of TikToker Nauman. The victim was rushed to a private hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Kahna police arrested the farmhouse owner, Fayyaz and the TikToker.

The Punjab Wildlife Department took the lioness into custody, while the victim's body was shifted to a morgue for post-mortem examination.

DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said the suspects had allegedly attempted to conceal the circumstances surrounding the incident by initially claiming that the victim had been attacked by a dog. However, police inquiries had subsequently established that a lioness was involved.

The police registered a case under Sections 289 and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Sections 10-A and 12 of the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act, 1974.

Investigators are examining whether the animal was being kept legally, whether the farmhouse met the prescribed safety standards and whether negligence contributed to the worker's death.

The DIG said police would investigate the alleged attempt to conceal details of the incident and all aspects of negligence, adding that no one would be allowed to endanger lives for entertainment or personal interests.

In December 2024, a lion belonging to a resident of Shalimar Housing Society in Harbanspura had escaped onto a street, triggering panic among residents, including children playing nearby. A security guard had shot dead the animal after it chased people.

In July last year, another privately kept lion had escaped from a farmhouse in Johar Town's Shah Di Khoi area and attacked a woman and her two children aged five and seven.

The victims had suffered injuries to their faces and arms and were shifted to a hospital. Police had arrested those suspected of being responsible and wildlife officials had seized the animal and transferred it to a park.

Following the incident in 2024, the Punjab government had moved to tighten regulations governing private ownership of big cats.

In January 2025, the provincial cabinet approved amendments to the Punjab Wildlife Act, 1974, bringing lions, tigers, cheetahs, pumas and jaguars under Schedule II.

The measures introduced licensing requirements, minimum enclosure standards and restrictions on keeping the animals in residential areas.

The government also announced a ban on displaying big cats on social media.

The Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Act, 2025, was passed by the provincial assembly.

The wildlife department also announced a phased plan to end private ownership of big cats, citing public safety, animal welfare and the risks associated with unregulated breeding and possession.

Under the department's guidelines, big cats cannot be kept on residential premises or areas.

Existing owners were required to declare their animals, obtain possession licences and relocate them to facilities outside residential areas that meet prescribed standards.

The guidelines also require animals to be microchipped and registered through a mobile application, restrict breeding and prohibit taking big cats outside registered premises for public display.

Following the Johar Town attack, the wildlife authorities had launched a province-wide crackdown in July 2025.

According to official figures reported at the time, teams inspected 22 locations, recovered 13 lions and arrested five people after registering five cases. In Lahore, four lions had been seized, four people arrested and three cases registered.

The phasing-out policy envisaged transferring big cats from residential settings to regulated facilities, allowing only qualifying registered breeding farms, private wildlife parks and safari parks to retain them under prescribed conditions. Digital registration and microchipping were also introduced to improve monitoring of the animals and their ownership.

However, the incident in Kahna has raised questions whether the regulatory framework is being effectively implemented.

Investigators will establish whether the farmhouse held a wildlife possession licence, the lioness was registered and microchipped, and the premises complied with the enclosure and safety requirements.

The inquiry will also determine whether the facility was authorised to keep the animal, its presence had been reported to wildlife authorities and what safety arrangements were in place during the TikToker's visit.

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