A lion kept as a pet in Pakistan escaped its confines last week before a terrifying jaunt through the streets of Lahore, where it attacked a woman and her two young children. A clip from CCTV footage shows the lion leaping over a concrete wall, landing in an alleyway just feet from startled onlookers, per the BBC. The lion then begins chasing a woman who's seen running with small children in front of her. The lion tackles the woman to the ground before a man appears to chase the lion further down the alleyway. It then attacked the woman's two young children, aged 5 and 7, CNN reports.
Authorities say the woman and her children sustained injuries to their faces and arms but are in stable condition, per the BBC. The lion had allegedly escaped from an open cage at a farmhouse in the Johan neighborhood. Though it is legal to keep big cats as pets in Pakistan, where they're considered status symbols, owners must have the proper license and house the animals outside city limits. Lahore police said the owners of the lion did not have a license to keep the animal and were negligent in its escape.
The father of the injured children claimed the owners watched as the lion attacked his family and made no attempt to restrain it, per the BBC. Police shared an image of three men in a jail cell, who reportedly face up to seven years in prison and a $17,500 fine, per CNN. The lion was ultimately recovered and transported to a wildlife park, per the BBC. Since the attack, authorities in the larger Punjab province have led a crackdown on illegal wildlife possession, recovering 13 lions and arresting five people.
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