Pakistani authorities confiscated two African lions after a man caused panic as he walked one of them through the streets over the weekend for a TikTok video.

The man, who was also wielding an automatic rifle, has since been arrested, after residents in the Gujranwala district of Punjab province reacted with fear to the incident.

"We have arrested the man involved in the TikTok stunt and confiscated two African lions from his possession," Mohammad Rizwan, spokesperson for Punjab Wildlife Department, told dpa news agency on Tuesday.

Rizwan said that the man could face up to seven years in prison for illegal possession of lions and putting lives of the public in danger.

Showing off big cats is a criminal act in Punjab

Under the Punjab Wildlife Act of 1974, as amended in 2025, keeping or displaying big cats in urban areas is a criminal offense.

Punjab wildlife authorities have banned the keeping of big cats in populated zones and also prohibited the sharing of dangerous videos involving big cats on social media.

"No one is be allowed to keep lions at homes and in densely populated residential neighbourhoods," Rizwan said.

There are more than 100 private breeding houses in Punjab, and scores of people also keep big cats including tigers and cheetahs in their homes.

Last month, the government in Punjab launched an app asking people to register big cats in an attempt to regulate ownership.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery