Dubai: Police patrols along with the Veterinary Services Department members of Dubai Municipality have transferred the captured pet lion to Dubai Zoo. The pet lion reportedly escaped from its owner's house on Thursday.
Police spoke to people in the area and were able to identify the feline’s owner, who lived in one of the villas in the area, reported Gulf News.
The lion was captured from Al Barsha street after the police operations room received calls from several people to inform that they had spotted a big cat wandering in the streets near Al Barsha.
Major-General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police said no person was injured, and added that the big cat escaped from its owner’s house. Legal action will be initiated against the owner, he added.
Dubai Municipality controls & confiscates an escaped lion from Al Barsha & Dubai Police are currently investigating pic.twitter.com/eQbwXg43OR
— بلدية دبي (@DMunicipality) January 21, 2016
The Ministry of Environment and Water does not allow people to have big cats in homes.
Though it is illegal to keep as pets endangered or threatened wildlife in the United Arab Emirates, there have been numerous sightings of Emirati men in their luxury cars accompanied by pet lions along for the cruise.
The thrill of keeping lions, cheetahs and tigers as pets is popular in some quarters of the Gulf, where it's seen as a status of wealth and power.
Dubai Customs has been working hard in the last several years to stem the import of wild animals from Africa into Dubai for use as exotic pets.
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