Image reproduced from 中時新聞網

At a theme park in Turkey, a lion named Zeus, who was supposed to be peacefully resting, suddenly escaped in the middle of the night, resulting in a harrowing incident. Nearby, in a pistachio field, a farmer named Keel and his wife were asleep when they were awakened by rustling sounds around 4:30 to 5:00 AM. Keel discovered that the lion was approaching him.

Keel recounted that he and his wife quickly struggled and shouted for help, but the lion's fierce assault made him feel suffocated. The lion bit onto his thigh and neck, but Keel’s strong resistance eventually made the lion retreat. Rescue personnel arrived shortly thereafter and rushed Keel to the hospital. Unfortunately, Zeus was subsequently euthanized as it could not be captured alive. The governor of Antalya explained that there was no alternative, considering the danger of the lion harming others again.

Keel was greatly angered, asserting that the theme park, which housed around 30 lions, should be held accountable in court.

Meanwhile, a similar incident unfolded in Pakistan. A lion in Lahore escaped by climbing over a wall and began to chase pedestrians, resulting in injuries to a woman and her two children. This lion was a pet owned by a wealthy local resident.

Chaudhry, the owner’s nephew, mentioned, "We adhere to the standard operating procedures of the wildlife management department in raising this lion, and you can see that it was impossible for him to escape from the cage as it is very sturdy. The incident occurred because a boy failed to lock it after cleaning, allowing the lion to take advantage of the situation and escape, subsequently attacking people and causing minor bruises to the children."

The family that was attacked did not suffer serious injuries, but encountering a wild animal in a residential area was terrifying. The runaway lion eventually returned home on its own but was sent to a wildlife sanctuary, while the owner faced arrest for lacking a proper license and inadequate care.

In response to prevent such incidents from recurring, a large-scale crackdown was launched in the adjacent Punjab province a few days later, resulting in the arrest of five owners and thirteen lions. This series of events highlights the risks of wildlife ownership and the legal issues behind it, reminding people to prioritize both animal welfare and public safety.