A man who bought a pet lion cub thinks of the animal as “his child”.
Zulkaif Chaudhary, from Multan city, Pakistan says the wild animal is “like a teddy bear” – however, the lion already weighs more than 168 lbs and wolfs down 17lb of raw meat every day.
Chaudhary even allows his pet lion – who has his own deluxe double bed – to play with his young sons.
He said: “He is like my child. He was two months old when I got him. He has been living with me for six months.
“I love lions a lot and I felt like taking care of one. I never discussed with my family and just got him and then told them. But they all were very happy to see him. They all come to meet him every day.
“I’m not worried that he will attack us. Even my son comes to play with it.
According to a report by Emirates24/7, Zulkaif is keen to keep the big cat free to roam. He said, “I have never chained Babbar nor will I ever because I love him like my own child.”
Zulkaif is not the only person to make headlines for his usual love for exotic animals; disregarding the danger their pose as pets. According to Live Science, over the last two decades, the number of attacks from exotic pets has been stable. But it’s likely that more people are keeping wild animals as pets today than previously because the animals have become easier to acquire.
And research has also proven, “the ownership of exotic pets poses a danger to human health.” Close contant with exotic animals such as lions, tigers, endangered birds, monkeys and other animals exposes pet owners to the transmission of deadly infections.
“It’s not just about bites, scratches or mauling,” said Adam Roberts, executive vice president at Born Free USA. “It’s also about the disease. Reptiles can carry salmonella bacteria, and monkeys can carry the Herpes B virus, both of which can be deadly in humans.”
