Three people have been charged with public endangerment over an incident that saw a lioness escape from a home in Dubai and prowl the streets for several hours, it was reported on Tuesday.
Associated Press reported that the owner of the lioness, the buyer and a middleman have been charged after the lioness escaped on Thursday in the Al Barsha neighbourhood, citing The National.
The animal was caught without incident and taken to the zoo.
Last week local media reported that the lioness was in a state of “deep shock” at Dubai Zoo and had not eaten for 24 hours.
An animal care expert at the zoo was quoted as saying: “She has gone through a lot, from escaping from her owner to being caught by the municipality workers and now being kept in an unfamiliar place.
Keeping wild animals as pets is seen as a status symbol in the Gulf states. In the UAE it is illegal to keep wild animals as pets without first obtaining a special permit.
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