Lahore safari bails out big cats to pay bills

The Lahore Safari Zoo has put up 12 of its big cats, particularly lions, up for sale this year to pay its exceeding bills.

The park, spread over 242 acres of land, was opened back in 1982. It is home to hundreds of animals and is run by the Punjab Wildlife Department. Once, bustling with visitors, the zoo is now a sight of desolation and dilapidation.

According to the management, the decision to sell the lions was taken because of lack of space. "Lions conceive at least twice or thrice a year. We don't have place to keep them. Plus, feeding them is expensive," a zoo official said.

One lion is being sold for Rs150,000. But in the international market, the value of these animals range between Rs4.5 million and Rs5 million.

SAMAA TV's Ayesha Atta, in a special report, however, has a different story to tell.

Her findings revealed that last year too the zoo sold 14 lions for money to run the safari. Over the years, the condition of the animals and their cages have just gotten worse and nobody cares.

It's not like the management doesn't have space to accommodate these animals because there are so many cages at the safari that are empty.