The Cambodian Prime Minister intervened to return a confiscated animal to its owner: it is a lion

A lion has been removed from a wildlife rescue sanctuary and returned to a luxurious villa in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, after the intervention of the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, who also announced a fine of $ 30,000 for the owner of the animal.

“After having discussed with the Minister of Agriculture, we have decided to allow the return of the animal to the owner provided they build an adequate enclosure to guarantee the safety of people and the neighborhood, ”the president posted on his Facebook account, which has 13 million followers, and is the most followed page in Cambodia.

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Police and wildlife officers first raided the property on June 27. They explained that they had to save the animal after the appearance of TikTok videos, and the neighbors sounded the alarm.

The beast, raised in captivity since childhood, is 18 months old and weighs 70 kilograms, as reported after the rescue by the wildlife NGO Wildlife Alliance.

In the days following the prime minister’s post, messages surfaced on social media saying the lion should be returned to the owner, who had denied the animal’s allegations of mistreatment.

Although authorities initially said it was illegal to keep lions as pets, Hun Sen argued that this is a special case, because the owner had fed the lion from an early age and treated him like a member of the family.

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The return of the lion

On television, it was possible to see how officials sedated the feline and transferred it to a metal box. Thousands of people saw him slowly returning to the property, accompanied by the owner’s dog. “At first I was sad, then excited and moved,” he told media. owner. The man spoke to the local newspaper Khmer time, who identified him as Zhai Xinjiang. Zhai denied mistreating the lion and said he lived with his dogs and his name was Hey man.

The animal, whose nails and fangs were said to have been removed, was returned on Monday, and the owner signed an agreement that he would be “liable under the law. [si] something is wrong, ”local media reported.

Cambodia has no laws prohibiting the keeping of exotic animals and has only fined the lion’s owner $ 30,000 (approximately € 25,250). The NGO Wildlife Alliance who helped with the initial withdrawal said he had no immediate comment on Monday.

The British Ambassador to Cambodia, Tina Redshaw, said she did not agree with the return and was “disappointed”. He noted that it did not seem appropriate to him for the lion confiscated from his residence in the center of town to be returned, undermining Cambodian law, which prohibits the ownership of and trade in endangered wildlife.

“Global efforts to tackle illegal wildlife trade are in jeopardyNot to mention the stress and suffering of improper captivity, ”Redshaw said in a tweet.