A defanged and declawed lion trafficked to an upscale Phnom Penh neighborhood on Monday was returned to its owner following the intervention of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The 18-month-old cub, weighing 70kg, had been imported, officials said.
It was raised by its owner, a Chinese national, who named it Hima.
Photo: Reuters
Authorities learned of the unlikely pet after seeing TikTok videos of Hima playing in a Phnom Penh villa.
The lion was confiscated on June 27 and taken to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center.
Wildlife Alliance, an animal rescue group that aided in the raid last week, had said that a private residence was “inappropriate” for a wild animal, and that the owner had removed the lion’s canine teeth and claws.
A couple of days later, a video of the lion’s owner, Qi Xiao, visiting Hima in the center went viral.
In the video, Hima kept nudging Qi as he fed it meat, a seemingly affectionate behavior that sparked calls on social media for them to be reunited.
On Sunday, Hun Sen announced on Facebook that Qi could have his lion back on the condition that he “build it a proper cage to ensure the safety of the people in the house and neighbors.”
He also ordered authorities to reimburse any fine paid by the owner.
Qi thanked the prime minister in a comment on the post, and also expressed gratitude to “Cambodian people for helping and supporting our Hima.”
“Lastly, I wish that Cambodia and China stay strong friends forever,” he wrote.
The lion was transported on Monday afternoon to Qi’s villa.
“I feel very happy, very touched... I didn’t expect to get him back,” Qi told reporters as the lion and his dog wandered around his background.
Not everyone was pleased by the outcome.
The return is “undermining legislation preventing ownership/trade in endangered wildlife, harming global efforts to tackle Illegal Wildlife Trade, to say nothing of stress & suffering of inappropriate captivity,” British Ambassador to Cambodia Tina Redshaw wrote on Twitter.
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