LAHORE: With a view to regulate the rising trend of keeping big cats, including lions, tigers and cheetahs, in homes, and put an end to illegal ownership and public and social media display of these animals, Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department has proposed changes to the relevant law.

The need for these changes to the law was particularly felt following the recent incident where a lion kept in a house escaped and came on the road. The beast had to be shot to avoid harm to the public. The amended law will also regulate the public display of big cats on social media, and will be enforced by the Punjab wildlife and parks department.

The department has sent a formal summary to the Punjab government for inclusion of big cats in the Second Schedule of the Punjab Wildlife Act, 1974. This would regulate the licencing, cage sizes, and conditions for owning lions, tigers, and other big cats, and integrate these provisions into the Act.

Previously, the department did not have the legal framework to issue individual licences for keeping lions, tigers, or other big cats. As a result, there were no specific legal provisions in place to take effective action against the individuals who keep such animals without ensuring inadequate housing facilities.

It will ensure these animals are properly housed; licencing process will also be updated

Department sources say that the summary prepared by the department follows international standards and guidelines for the care and housing of big cats.

The new regulations are based on the standards set by global organisations, such as the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), WWF, and IUCN, they add.

These regulations have been approved by the Punjab Wildlife Captive Management Committee in its 6th meeting.

The proposed law includes the requirement that only those individuals who have a property having a minimum area of 500m² per pair will be eligible for a licence for keeping lions and tigers etc. Furthermore, the indoor cage size for these beasts must be at least 15m², with a height of 3.5 metres.

Wildlife & ParksDirector General Muddassar Riaz Malik explains that the lions belonging to the Felidae family were not previously covered under the Punjab Wildlife Act, 1974. However, with the amended rules, lions, tigers, cheetah, puma and jaguar will be included in the Second Schedule of the Act, he adds.

Once the Punjab government approves the summary, the wildlife department will begin enforcing the new standards across the province, he says.

He says the individuals currently keeping lions in their homes will be required to comply with these new standards, including the appropriate cage size and other conditions for keeping such animals.

In addition to these standards, the department has also proposed some other restrictions on licence holders. For instance, they will not be permitted to sell the animals, upload their videos on social media, or display them publicly.

The DG says a fee of Rs50,000 per animal will be charged annually from each licence holder. After the law is passed, individuals who currently own big cats will be given six months to comply with the new standards, including meeting the minimum housing standards and applying for a licence to the wildlife department.

He says that those failing to comply with the new rules will have to face strict action by the wildlife department, including registration of cases and confiscation of animals.

Mr Malik emphasises that once the rules are amended, the department will launch a crackdown on violators across the province.

Recognising the need for regulations for big cats keepers, the current government, especially Senior Minister Marriyuam Aurangzeb, on the directions of the chief minster, is making hectic efforts to change the entire wildlife landscape of Punjab through introducing various projects and interventions, he says.

The department has rescued 355 animals, including 16 bears, besides 13,682 birds, during the last seven months.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2024