Lion cub found in house under zoo protection

GAZİANTEP

A lion found in a house in Istanbul has been sent to a zoo in the southeastern province of Gaziantep after police raided the residence and took the cub under the authorities’ protection.

The lion cub, which had been gifted to the famous Iranian model Qazal Yadegari by her boyfriend and was living alongside her in Maslak neighborhood, had been captured with the collaboration of the Nature Conservation and National Parks Istanbul Regional Directorate and the Istanbul Police.

The lion cub was sent to the Gaziantep Zoo to grow up in his natural habitat and Yadegari was fined.

Gaziantep Zoo officials said that the lion was in good health. He is now being fed with milk and will start eating meat soon, the officials said.

Celal Özsöyler, the head of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Conservation of Natural Life, said that animals should be in their natural habitat or in the zoo.

Stating that it is prohibited and dangerous to feed predators at home, Özsöyler said, “We have received information that a lion cub was captured in Istanbul. We went to Istanbul to take it. The lion cub is a nearly five-month-old male. He is currently being fed milk. His health condition is fine now. It is illegal to feed these animals and keep them at home. They should either be in their natural habitat or in zoos. They should also have health certificates. He was kept by a person and did not have these documents. This is why the animal was taken from her. Now he is entrusted to us.”