Teen Killed by Big Cat at Lahore Breeding Farm During Influencer Video Shoot

A 19-year-old employee, identified as Talha, was mauled to death by a big cat at a private breeding farm in Lahore last week while helping a social media influencer film content, according to police. The incident occurred on Wednesday when the influencer, Noman Hassan, allegedly asked the teenager to remove a female big cat from its enclosure. Hassan, who has millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram, frequently posts videos of himself interacting with dangerous animals.

Following the attack, Hassan reportedly took Talha to a hospital but tried to convince doctors that the teen had been attacked by a dog, police said. There was initial confusion over whether the animal was a tiger or a lion; Lahore Police referred to it as a 'lioness attack' on social media but shared a photo of a tiger. Hassan and the farm owner, identified as Fayyaz, were arrested in connection with the fatal mauling.

A Lahore police spokesperson stated, 'A passion for TikTok cannot be more important than a human life. No one can be allowed to put human life at risk in the name of a hobby or entertainment. The attempt to hide the facts and every aspect of negligence will be investigated.' Authorities are examining whether safety protocols and legal requirements were followed at the private farm.

In Pakistan, owning big cats such as lions, cheetahs, tigers, pumas, and jaguars is legal provided the animals are registered and kept outside city limits. However, authorities have been cracking down on private ownership following an incident last year when an escaped lion attacked a mother and her two children on the streets of Lahore.

The deadly incident highlights growing concerns over the risks associated with using wild animals for social media content. It also comes a month after a former child actor was killed by a tiger at a British wildlife park after climbing into the animal's enclosure.