Money can buy anything, even a 'pet' lion
There is a small but thriving secret market in Qatar that offers wild animals like lions, leopards and chimpanzees for sale.
There is an increasing demand and the buyers are those fond of keeping the dangerous animals as pets and willing to pay the price.
The asking price for a lion cub can be QR90,000 ($25,000) on average, while that for a chimpanzee is up to QR70,000 ($19,223).
A leopard, on the other hand, can command a price of around QMoneyR45,000 ($12,500) in the Qatari market.
These animals are smuggled into the country, pointing to a need to mount added vigil at the points of entry of goods, including livestock.
Keeping dangerous animals as pets in violation of the law here is not uncommon. Once a person visited a friend's home in February 2013 in Al Azizya suburb and was stunned to see a lion sitting in his living room, according to The Peninsula.
"I turned back and ran to safety. I haven't been to the friend's house ever since and I don't want to go there ever," the man said.
Recently, a Filipina maid was killed by a "pet" lion in a home in Kuwait, and in the same country a young Kuwaiti was rescued by people after a leopard inadvertently kept hungry for two days by a family attacked him.
The daily said it managed to visit some homes in Qatar that have wild animals as pets and the people there spoke on the condition of anonymity.
One home had a lion, a chimpanzee and a leopard and the hair-raising part of the dangerous practice was that these animals were living amid three children of their owner. The oldest child was 10.
"When we asked him how he could trust these animals with his children, the owner replied causally that the animals were friendly."
He said a belt was tied around the lion's neck, for instance, and the moment he would be aggressive, the animal could be given electric shock with a remote device and it would become okay.
But the leopard in the home remained unleashed and was moving around freely.
The owner said there is a big market for wild animals in a neighbouring country, and in Doha there is a small replica of it that offers dangerous animals for sale on the sly. "It is a secret market."
The practice of people keeping wild animals as pets was highlighted by the Ministry of Interior in a warning recently.
There were discussions on social media on the issue with people decrying the trend and urging authorities to act tough against those who breached the law.
Commentators suggested that an extensive inspection campaign be launched and the animals be caught and sent to the zoo.
The owners must be fined hugely, made to pay for the animals' daily upkeep in the zoo and allowed to visit their animals at regular intervals. [Source: The Peninsula, photo for illustration only]
How do you think Qatar can stop this dangerous practice of keeping wild animals as pets at home? Comment below.
so is it a violation for both? i mean both are not wearing seat belts :p
She is being taken for a ride ............................ ........................
@k200 really? OMG. thanks for the info. that would be really dangerous. I believed that the fastest animal on planet was human friendly. :-O
Animals should stay where they were born out in the wild or zoo. It's cruel to be taken away from their home just for own publicity. I suggest to leave them at their right place or exchange the places :) :p
Whoever wrote this article needs a lesson in wildlife - the picture shows a cheetah, the header refers to a lion and the content discusses lions and leopards.
@K200 - FYI: Violet d mello case was as recent as 2012 - the cheetahs were referred to as tame because they were hand trained, it is a well known fact that such visits are done at one's own risk and discretion, as these are wild animals, not pets as referred to, in this article.
@urstrulyash there was an attack on a woman tourist 'violet d mello' in South Africa by a tame cheetah recently.
Thats not a LION.
the "society" under discussion can buy anything with the money they have but they can never buy respect. they don't know "do respect, have respect" principle. they need to be educated in all aspects, hopeless people they are :(
@mauvesquee Love your dp, the cats are so cuuuute... :-)
This keep on continuing only due to authorities' being blind. Or they prefer to stay blind because most the 'pet' owners are very powerful and rich locals.
One additional comment I have is about the above pic. its a cheetah, which is known to be very human friendly, unlike other members of the big cat family. Once I watched a documentary in discovery in which they said that there are no reports until now about cheetah attacks on human. I thought of sharing this since in many past news reports in Qatar about leopards, photos would be of a cheetah. even though it is immaterial here, just thought to point out. :-)
There are things money can't buy. Security and Respect and Knowledge that every specie in this world has its own habitat
Let all these animals get loose (including me) and let the officials do their thing, in their own time.
No seatbelt and using phone when driving. Nice.
If they take care of the animals themselves without the help of maids, it would be great. They are doing this because they aren't the ones who clean the poop and urine of these animals. How dare they let the maids suffer and even die! I really hope the government will re-educate its citizens. Who in their right minds would buy these wild animals as pets? They think it's cool but it's just a loud display of ignorance and stupidity!
okey thank you first for giving us this information so my advise is simple please keep these animals at your home just i am asking you that secondly animals there is a place they should be not rounding into the market or any others places starting today i have to take care