Escaped pet lion attacks woman and children on busy street in Lahore

Panic swept through a busy Lahore neighbourhood after an escaped pet lion chased and attacked a woman and her two young children on Thursday night.

CCTV footage released by police shows the 11-month-old male lion leaping over a boundary wall before pouncing on a woman carrying groceries. The lion knocked her to the ground and then lunged at her two children, aged five and seven, clawing their arms and faces.

All three victims were rushed to a hospital. Officials confirmed they suffered injuries but were in stable condition.

According to a police report, the children's father alleged that the lion’s owners stood nearby “amused” as their pet attacked passersby. “They made no attempt to stop it,” he told authorities.

The suspects fled with the lion but were arrested within 12 hours, according to the Deputy Inspector General Operations in Lahore.

The lion has been confiscated by police and transferred to a local wildlife park, where officials confirmed the animal is in good health.