Bangkok, Feb 16 (EFE).- Thai police have arrested a Chinese woman for unlawfully keeping and raising a lion cub in a hotel room on the tourist island of Phuket, officials said on Friday.<\/p>
The woman was arrested on Tuesday following complaints that she was exhibiting the lion each day at a local coffee shop as a tourist attraction.<\/p>
Upon inspecting her hotel room, police and wildlife officials determined that the space did not meet the necessary requirements for housing such an animal.<\/p>
The woman, whose name has been withheld, was taken into police custody after failing to provide a permit for keeping and raising the female cub, according to a statement from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation.<\/p>
She has been charged with illegally possessing and transporting the animal, in violation of the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act.<\/p>
The two-month-old cub, weighing nearly six and a half kilograms, was seized and transferred to Bueng Chawak National Park in Suphan Buri province for professional care.<\/p>
While medical tests on the animal showed normal results, veterinarians said it would undergo “intensive treatment” to regain appropriate weight for its age and to prevent musculoskeletal issues.<\/p>
In recent months, several images of lions and other wild animals, chained, confined in home gardens, or performing tricks, have circulated on social media, prompting widespread outrage among citizens and officials over alleged mistreatment of the animals.<\/p>
According to local media, Thailand currently legally owns 224 lions. EFE <\/p>
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