Cambodian authorities have confiscated a pet lion from a Phnom Penh villa after it appeared in TikTok videos, sparking public concern.
The 18-month-old male lion, weighing 70 kilograms (154 pounds), was brought into the country by a Chinese national and kept as a domestic pet, according to Environment Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra.
After spotting the lion in TikTok videos in late April, Pheaktra explained to AFP that the authorities began investigating the case.
Wildlife Alliance, an animal rescue NGO that assisted in the operation, stated in a Facebook post that keeping a wild animal in a private residence is inappropriate.
They also noted that the lion had been defanged and declawed, severely diminishing its quality of life.
The pet owner had shared images of the lion lounging in his driveway next to a dog, along with a video showing the lion as a cub being sprayed with a hose. In response, Pheaktra emphasized, “People do not have the right to keep rare wildlife as pets.”
Photos shared by the environment ministry on Sunday showed the lion lying next to a small dog as officials prepared to transport it to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, located on the capital’s outskirts.
The confiscation followed a Twitter post the day before, which featured an aerial shot of the lion roaming in a garden in Phnom Penh’s upscale Boeung Keng Kang district.
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