A video of a foreign couple walking a lion on the streets of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, is going viral on social media.
According to reports, the incident occurred last Saturday night when a couple, apparently of foreign origin, were seen walking calmly with a lion on a leash, as if it were a dog.
At one point in the video, the lion seems to become restless, and the owner tries to pull it on the leash and calm it down. The scene caused fear among those who witnessed it, as the feline suddenly breaks loose and runs onto the sidewalk, with the couple chasing it.
The animal was small, but possessed considerable strength to pose a danger to its caretakers.
The images immediately began to be shared on social media, generating diverse reactions, from people who took the incident with humor to those who, with concern, saw it as a case of animal abuse and a danger to the community.
Although no injuries have been reported, the incident has brought the debate about owning wild animals as pets back to the forefront.
So far, neither the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) nor the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) have issued an official position on the case.
Source: sinembargo
