A 19-year-old TikTok creator died after a lion attacked him at a private breeding farm in Pakistan. Authorities arrested the influencer who allegedly invited him and the farm’s owner. (Foto: Instagram)
Taha, a 19-year-old who made TikTok videos, died Wednesday, Nov. 11, after a lion attacked him at a private breeding farm in Pakistan. He had gone there to film with the animal, according to information cited by The Independent.
Influencer Noman Hassan reportedly invited Taha to the farm. Hassan has about 2.5 million Instagram followers and 928,000 TikTok followers, and has posted hundreds of videos featuring big cats. Authorities told the British newspaper that Hassan took the lion out of its cage and began filming shortly before the attack. Taha’s father, Munir Ahmed, made the allegation in a complaint, according to the report.
Ahmed took his son to a hospital, but Taha died from his injuries. Hassan and the farm’s owner were arrested after authorities said they tried to conceal the cause of death by claiming Taha had been attacked by a dog. Officials also closed the farm.
A Lahore police spokesperson said the pursuit of TikTok content should not take precedence over human life. The spokesperson added that no one should be allowed to endanger people for a hobby or entertainment, and said authorities would investigate the alleged concealment and any negligence.
Pakistan allows private ownership of lions, cheetahs, tigers, pumas and jaguars, which is regarded as a status symbol. Owners must register the animals, pay a one-time fee of 50,000 rupees—about £129—and keep the big cats outside city limits.
The country has seen other incidents involving privately owned lions. In January, a child, 8, lost an arm after being attacked by a pet lion at a private animal-breeding farm in the same area near Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.
