Residents in Pattaya have formally submitted a police complaint concerning a foreign national who is reportedly housing two lions as domestic pets, sparking apprehension among locals.
The complaint stresses the safety concerns prevalent in the Banglamung district, as one of the lions has been frequently escaping and roaming the neighborhood.
Photographs of the big cats shared on the PattayaWatchdog Facebook page have fueled a call from residents for the National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Department to step in. Their plea is for the immediate confiscation of the lions and their relocation to a more suitable environment than their current domicile on Khaomakok Soi 3. Residents, fearing for the well-being of their children and pets, are advocating for urgent intervention.
When local journalists visited the property, they found two lions being kept on the same property with two Rottweiler dogs. The homeowner, known only as “Pa,” asserts that she acquired the lions as cubs and emphasizes that there has been just one incident of a lion escaping through a malfunctioning electric gate.
“Now they are about ten months old. I moved from Sattahip to Pattaya about six months ago. One day, one of them escaped through a faulty electric gate which accidentally opened.”
According to her, the caretaker promptly restored the lion to the confines of the property.
This incident comes in the wake of a recent viral episode involving another lion cub taken for a car ride around Pattaya, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into the matter.
The broader issue of exotic animals being kept as pets by private individuals has ignited concerns within the community, raising questions about the adequacy of regulations governing such practices.