“A passion for TikTok cannot be more important than a human life,” a spokesperson for the Lahore police told nypost.com after a 19-year-old assistant was mauled to death by a big cat during a video shoot on November 11.
The victim, an employee identified as Talha by nypost.com and as Taha by The Independent, died at around 5:00 p.m. at a private breeding farm in the Kahna area of Lahore. The teenager had been assisting social media influencer Noman Hassan, who commands millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram by posting clips of himself engaging in rough play with dangerous animals.
Hassan allegedly asked the teenager to take the female big cat out of its enclosure for a social media video when the animal went out of control and attacked, according to a criminal complaint cited by The Mirror. The influencer rushed the injured worker to a local private hospital, where the teenager succumbed to his injuries, Dawn reported.
Police later arrested Hassan and the owner of the farm, Fayyaz, sealing the breeding facility. Investigators said that the suspects attempted to conceal the truth by initially telling doctors that the victim had suffered injuries from a dog attack.
“No one can be allowed to put human life at risk in the name of a hobby or entertainment. The attempt to hide the facts and every aspect of negligence will be investigated,” a spokesperson for the Lahore police said.
Arrests and Court Proceedings in Lahore
Kahna police produced Fayyaz and Hassan before a judicial magistrate at Model Town courts to seek their physical remand, according to Dawn. During the hearing, the legal heirs and family members of Talha appeared to record their statements before the court.
The family submitted affidavits stating they had pardoned the two suspects for the sake of Allah Almighty and raised no objections to their release on bail or acquittal. A prosecutor opposed the release, arguing that the suspects had committed a serious offense and required continued police custody.
Magistrate Qaiser Riaz rejected the prosecution request and granted bail to both suspects against surety bonds of 50,000 rupees each. Meanwhile, wildlife authorities took custody of the big cat involved in the fatal incident.
Legal Status of Big Cats in Pakistan
Owning lions, cheetahs, tigers, pumas, and jaguars functions as a status symbol across Pakistan and remains legal provided the animals are properly registered. Owners must pay a one-time fee of 50,000 rupees, equivalent to roughly £129, and keep the animals outside city limits under current regulations.
Police are investigating whether the private facility in Lahore possessed the required permits and followed mandatory safety protocols. Authorities launched a wider crackdown on keeping big cats as pets last year after an escaped lion injured a mother and her two children on the streets of Lahore.
Other incidents have increased scrutiny of private big cat ownership in the region. In January, an eight-year-old boy lost his arm after a pet lion attacked him at a private breeding farm in the Sabzazar neighborhood of Lahore, while another girl suffered injuries when a pet lion being transported on a rickshaw managed to escape.
Common Questions About the Lahore Big Cat Attack
What animal was involved in the fatal attack?
Police reports and local media offered conflicting descriptions of the animal, initially referring to it variously as a tiger or a lioness, while Lahore Police official posts on X featured a photograph of a tiger alongside references to a lioness.
What legal consequences did the influencer face?
Lahore police arrested Noman Hassan and farm owner Fayyaz on charges related to the fatal mauling and attempts to conceal the cause of death, and a judicial magistrate later granted them bail after the victim’s family submitted affidavits of pardon.
Are big cats legal to keep as pets in Pakistan?
Owning lions, tigers, and other big cats is legal in Pakistan if the animals are registered, a fee of 50,000 rupees is paid, and they are housed outside city limits.
Keep reading