What’s Lion Around? Chinese Man Keeps Jungle King In BKK1

Phnom Penh: Authorities have confiscated a live lion from a Chinese man who was illegally raising the king of the jungle in his home. The story first came to light after neighbors took pictures which were shared on Twitter.

The operation to seize the animal was led by Mr. Koam Seiha, Director of Prey Chey Administration, Phnom Penh, in cooperation with the Deputy Prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and with the participation of the Wildlife Alliance.

The operation took place on the morning of June 27, 2021 ata villa located at 22, Street 306, Village 7, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang I.

Phnom Penh Prey Chey Administration Director said, “Because some neighbors reported raising lions in the back of the villa by a Chinese man, the authorities cooperated with local authorities to conduct a search…. (which led to) one of the lions to be sent for safekeeping . “

He added that people do not have the right to raise wild animals, which is contrary to the law and Article 49 of the Law on Forestry, that states the keeping of rare or endangered species is prohibited.

He pointed out that for a male lion will be sent to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center. “The Chinese owners have been called in by the authorities to stop raising such wildlife“

The male lion, which weighs more than 70 kilograms, has been raised by Chinese men since he was a cub and is believed to be about a year and a half old- eating around six kilograms of raw meat a day.

UPDATE: Wildlife Alliance wrote in a Facebook post that the “conditions at a residential home are inappropriate for a wild animal….In addition, the lion’s canine teeth had been removed, along with its claws, which drastically reduces a lion’s quality of life.”