Lion cub in Lebanon in custody of animal rights group after being reported as lost

(9 Mar 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut, Lebanon - 09 March 2024
1. Various of Jason Mier, the director of Animals Lebanon, bringing food to lion cub in a large cage
2. Various of lion cub eating meat
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jason Mier, Director of Animals Lebanon:
“We moved him onto this holding cage now, just to see the conditions more and to let him be comfortable. But really other than eating, sleeping and drinking, he is not really doing much. So that is kind of normal. We know that he is been stressed out and yes by tomorrow he’ll be a different animal and the next day he’ll be a different animal. We just have to give him time to settle in and improve.”
4. Various of cub lying down in the holding cage
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jason Mier, Director of Animals Lebanon:
“There is a good chance this animal came from Syria. He is just a victim of people wanting to do this to be able to say 'I can own these types of animals' and primarily to use them to show off. There is no other reason to do it, especially when people have so frequently and certainly in this case demonstrated here that they do not know how to take care of these animals. So this is not a positive thing, this is not a breeding thing, it is not a conservation. This is just somebody who wants it and again the only way we knew about it is because the guy is putting these things on social media, and in this case it completely backfired on him.”
6. Various of cub lying in the holding cage
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jason Mier, Director of Animals Lebanon:
“What has changed over the years is in 2016 we worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and the council of ministers and we passed what is called the “ Big Cat Decree” which actually bans the keeping of big cats. Then in 2017, we passed a national and welfare law. And in a case like this, to see the police act, to see the person actually detained, and it might seem insignificant, but our understanding is that this person was detained so far for four days. It is a small amount of time, but it is the longest time in the history of Lebanon for somebody to be detained for a crime against an animal.”
8. Various of Mier closing the cage and covering the cub with a blanket
STORYLINE:
A lion cub was being looked after an animal charity in the Lebanese capital on Saturday after it was reported missing.

The cub's owner had reported the cat lost or stolen earlier in the week.

Later, a post on social media showing a man pulling a chained lion cub urged police and animal rights activists to act.

The cub was then handed by authorities to Animals Lebanon, which is caring for the four-month-old before it secures a sanctuary for it.

"We just have to give him time to settle in and improve," said Animals Lebanon director Jason Mier, who suspected that the animal might have been trafficked and brought from Syria.

Keeping wild animals in captivity is a criminal act in Lebanon as it defies the animal protection law adopted in 2017, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, ratified by Lebanon in 2013.

AP video shot by Ali Sharafeddine

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