In a significant and long-overdue policy shift, the Punjab government has launched an ambitious regulatory overhaul aimed at ending the private ownership and unregulated trade of big cats such as lions, tigers, and leopards. Under the new initiative, all privately owned big cats in the province will be sterilized, and the commercial buying and selling of these animals will be banned.
For the first time, a structured legal framework is being rolled out to govern the ownership of these powerful predators — a move hailed by conservationists as a turning point in Pakistan’s wildlife governance.
Chief Wildlife Ranger Mubeen Elahi, speaking to Express News, outlined the multi-phase plan. The first phase required owners to declare their animals by May 2, with 180 registered wildlife breeding farms complying so far. Of these, 40 have passed initial inspections. Farms are now under a one-month deadline to upgrade their facilities according to the new regulatory standards, including strict enclosure specifications, space requirements, and safety protocols.
Perhaps most striking is the government’s decision to ban the presence of big cats in urban areas and residential communities entirely. The days of spotting a lion in a driveway or on a TikTok video may soon be over, if enforcement keeps pace with intent.
The strategy will roll out in four phases:
- Declaration of animals
- Verification of facilities
- Ban on commercial trade
- Mandatory sterilization to curb breeding
Already, enforcement is showing teeth. Eighteen big cats have been seized from illegal facilities, seven FIRs have been registered, and eight individuals arrested. Seized animals have been relocated to controlled facilities in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Bahawalpur.
While a registration fee of Rs. 50,000 per big cat has been imposed, annual renewals will be mandatory — a clear signal that private ownership will now come with serious accountability.
The crackdown has earned praise from experts. Wildlife conservationist and former Punjab Forestry & Wildlife Task Force chairman Badr Munir lauded the move, calling it “a necessary correction to a bizarre status symbol.” He pointed out the absurdity of big cats being treated as pets for social media fame, often with tragic consequences. “Nowhere else in the world are dangerous predators kept in homes or housing societies,” he stressed, urging authorities to enforce the law without compromise.
In essence, Punjab is confronting a deeply problematic culture — one that turned apex predators into domestic spectacles. While implementation will be the real test, the policy itself is a courageous pivot toward public safety, animal welfare, and global wildlife norms.
If enforced consistently and without loopholes, Punjab’s big cat regulation could become a model for the rest of South Asia — a rare case where common sense, conservation, and public policy converge.
