BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand is facing a growing public-safety concern as privately kept lions and other big cats are linked to a series of attacks, including a fatal mauling that has intensified calls for stricter controls.
Deadly incidents ignite national debate
Several recent cases have brought the issue to the fore. On 10 September, a pride of lions at a Bangkok zoo attacked a keeper in front of horrified visitors; the man later died in hospital. Days earlier, a lioness escaped from a private home in Kanchanaburi and seriously injured two neighbors. And in Uthai Thani on 17 September, a pitbull dragged a two-month-old infant from a stroller — incidents that together have stoked public alarm about dangerous animals kept outside professional facilities.
Social media glamorizes a dangerous trend
Despite the risks, the private ownership of big cats is booming, fuelled in part by social-media influencers who post photos and videos portraying the animals as tame or cute. One influencer reassured followers, “Don’t worry. My lion is in a strong cage… he won’t get out,” a comment that experts say underestimates inherent wild instincts. “Wild animals have instincts that never change,” warned Sadudee Pungpugdee, director of the Wild Fauna and Flora Protection Division.
Legal framework and enforcement gaps
Thailand permits private ownership of lions under certain conditions: animals must be acquired legally, registered with the Department of National Parks (DNP) and kept in secure enclosures. But officials acknowledge enforcement is patchy. DNP Director-General Athapol Charoenshunsa has said owners who fail to meet standards will have their animals confiscated at their own expense, yet monitoring and compliance remain inconsistent across the country.
Costs, classifications and the scale of ownership
Seventy-five private individuals in Thailand currently own at least one lion. Classified as “Category A”—dangerous to humans—these animals can nonetheless be traded legally with the appropriate CITES permits. Keeping a lion is expensive: annual care for an elderly animal can reach 1.39 million baht (roughly €35,000), a burden that critics say increases the risk of poor welfare and unsafe conditions when owners cut costs.
Calls for tighter rules and public awareness
Animal-welfare groups and safety experts are urging stronger regulation, tighter enforcement and a public campaign to counter the glamorization of wild predators. Sathit Pratchaya-ariyakun, president of the Thai SPCA, warned: “Lions are about ten times heavier than pitbulls and far more dangerous.” Critics argue the recent incidents demonstrate how quickly the boundary between exotic pet ownership and a threat to public safety can be crossed.
What next?
As debate continues, policymakers face pressure to reconcile legal trade under international rules with better domestic safeguards. The question remains whether Thailand will tighten controls before more lives — both human and animal — are lost.