By AFP - Agence France Presse
Lion cub gifted to Pakistani YouTube star causes chaos at wedding
Lahore (Pakistan) (AFP) - A Pakistani YouTube star who was gifted a lion cub on his wedding day has avoided jail after promising a judge he would upload animal rights videos for a year.
Rajab Butt has one of the biggest online followings in the South Asian country and his week-long nuptials at the end of December were featured on celebrity gossip sites.
When a sleepy lion cub, resembling the young Simba from the 2019 film “Lion King”, was presented to him in a cage with gold chains in front of thousands of guests who partied late into the night in the megacity of Lahore, in the east of the country, the photos quickly spread online.
Butt captioned a video of the event with the phrase “it's raining presents”, which amassed almost 10 million views.
The next morning, the police raided his house, confiscated the puppy, and kept the newlywed in custody overnight.
“We found out about the lion cub through social media,” said Faisal Mushtaq, an inspector from the wildlife department in Punjab province.
The police officers went to Butt's house and found the lion cub walking around the garage, he said.
“He was in a precarious condition as it was very cold,” said Mushtaq.
Last week, Butt pleaded guilty to possessing a wild animal without papers, but the judge waived a possible fine and prison sentence of up to two years in favor of a more personalized punishment.
Every month for a year, he must publish a five-minute video dedicated to animal rights, according to Judge Hamid Ul Rahman Nasir's order.
The social media influencer agreed to the conditions after admitting in a court statement that he had “set a bad example” by accepting the gift and going on to “glorify” it.
Butt is one of the country's highest-paid YouTube stars, according to the platform, and usually posts videos about his family's daily life, from arguments to shopping for new cars.
Tanvir Janjua, a veteran wildlife official in Punjab, said the cub was probably bought for 700,000 to 800,000 Pakistani rupees (US$2,500 to US$2,900).
“It is very wrong, morally and legally, to take away such a small cub from its mother,” who was probably still feeding it, he told AFP.
New regulations
A week after the man was arrested, an adult lion escaped from its cage, running through the narrow streets of a Lahore neighborhood as residents climbed onto their roofs.
The adult male was shot dead by a security guard, sparking outrage on social media about the dangers of keeping a big cat in a residential area.
Big cats are imported and bred all over Pakistan, seen as symbols of wealth and power for the elite who own them.
Last year, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz banned its supporters from bringing lions - the party's symbol - to political rallies.
However, strict new regulations banning the private ownership of big cats in residential areas are currently before the Punjab provincial government.
Breeders would have to buy a license and have at least 10 acres (four hectares) of land in a location approved by the wildlife authorities.
'It will never be your pet'
The gifted lion cub, who has not been named, is now enjoying the winter sun in an open enclosure at the sprawling Lahore Safari Zoo on the outskirts of the city, under the watchful eye of a keeper.
Janjua, who is also deputy director of the zoo, has carried out hundreds of raids against owners, breeders, and poachers over the past 33 years to confiscate wild animals, including lions that have often had their teeth and claws removed.
“Look at the gentlemen who use these animals to get clicks. What kind of message are they sending by being cruel to these animals?” he said, sneering at those who show them off in their cars and at political rallies.
“They can never be your pet. For two or three months, it won't say anything, but after that, it will become aggressive.”
As he approaches retirement, Janjua says that attitudes towards animals have worsened throughout his career. The laws, however, have improved, he says.
“Now wildlife officers have specific uniforms, weapons and we will have our courts,” he told AFP.
“The courts that already exist are now strict about cruelty to animals.”
Every month for a year, YouTube star Rajab Butt must publish a five-minute video dedicated to animal rights
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