LAHORE: The wildlife department in a joint raid with the police recovered 11 lions from a factory, hours after one of them attacked and injured a minor girl in the Nawankot area.

The incident took place late on Wednesday night when a lioness being brought on a rickshaw jumped off the three-wheeler and attacked the girl, Rabia, leaving her injured seriously.

The unidentified man who was taking three lionesses at that time and he fled the scene along with the big cats soon after he found locals gathering there. The injured girl was shifted to hospital where her condition was stated to be normal.

Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger Adnan Virk later told the media that the wild animals belonged to a factory owner, Azam Khokhar.

He said the department raided and recovered a total of 11 lions -- five females, three males and three cubs -- from the factory. He said all the recovered big cats had been shifted to Lahore Safari Park while a complaint was filed against the factory owner with the local police station.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026