LAHORE/BAH AWALPUR: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday announced Rs500,000 for each child injured in the lion attack in Johar Town in the provincial capital.

The number of lions from illegal captivity recovered from different areas of Punjab has reached 18 so far during the on-going crackdown.

Wildlife Department DirectorGeneral Mubin Elahi told Dawn that the operation was being conducted against the people keepinglionsillegally or without permit. He said eight lions were confiscated from Lahore, four from Gujranwala, three from Multan, two from Faisalabad and one from Rawalpindi.

He said that the department shifted these lions to public and private facilities in different areas, including Safari Park, Bahawalpur Zoo, DHA Islamabad and Multan and Cooperative Housing Society Rawalpindi.

The largest operation took place in Lahore where wildlife team raid a private breeding farm located on Bedian Road and seized five lions three male and two females.

In Bahawalpur, the wildlife department, Multan region, handed over to the Bahawalpur Zoo three lions confiscated from illegal captivity fromtwo sites in the area on Monday.

Nimra Rashid, the zoo curator, told Dawn that three African lions, a male adult and a sub-adult pair, were handed over to the zoo by the department as there was no government captivity facility in Multan.

Ms Nimra said with the breaking news of the arrival of three new African lions in the zoo, a large number of people who were already holidaying thronged the zoo to have a sight of the big cats. She expressed hope that with the arrival of new lions here, the zoo`s income would also increase in the coming days with the schoolchildren on summer vacations.

Talking to Dawn by phone from Multan, Wildlife Multan region`s Deputy Controller Azeem Zafar Buttar said that on a tip-off, the male adult lion was recovered from one Hasnain in the Jahania area in Khanewal district while the sub-adult pair was recovered from the illegal possession of one Aziz, the owner of a hotel in Multan. He added both owners had no license and as such FIRs against them were registered on the department`s com-plaints. However, both the suspects were not arrested.

Replying to a question regarding the age of the lions, Ms Nimra told Dawn that the age was yet to be assessed by the zoo`s vets but onelion could be called as an adult while the pair was termed sub-adult.

It may be mentioned that the Bahawalpur Zoo was fertile in the birth of lions and has adequate facilities for their captivity with plenty of exclusive separate enclosures for several lions.

It may be recalled that the wildlife department, Multan region, swung into action after the Punjab government took notice of a lion`s escape from a private enclosure in Lahore and its attack on a woman and two children, causing them serious injuries.

STERILISATION: The wildlife DG told media the province, for the first time, is implementing a regulatory framework to govern the private ownership of big cats. He said the department will enforce the sterilisation of lions, tigers, leopards, and other big cats.