A 19-year-old farm employee died after a lioness attacked him while a social media creator was visiting the property to film a TikTok video, according to police in Pakistan. Investigators now allege someone tried to conceal what happened by claiming the teenager had been attacked by a dog.
The victim, identified in local reporting as Talha, suffered critical injuries at a private farmhouse in the Kahna area of Lahore. He was taken to a hospital but died during treatment.
Police announced November 12 that they had arrested the farmhouse owner and the visiting content creator. Pakistani outlets identified the owner as Fayyaz and the TikToker as Nauman, although some international reports used the name Nouman Hassan.
According to investigators, the animal became uncontrollable during the creator’s visit and attacked Talha, who worked at the property. The available police account does not establish that the teenager was performing a stunt or filming his own video.
While several international reports described the animal as a tiger, Pakistani outlets including Dawn, The News International and The Express Tribune identified it as a lioness.
The investigation has since widened beyond the attack itself. Police say they are examining the alleged effort to portray Talha’s injuries as the result of a dog attack, along with whether the farmhouse had permission to keep the animal and what safety precautions were in place.
Wildlife officials took custody of the lioness, and Talha’s body was sent for an autopsy. Authorities registered a criminal case, but the allegations against the two arrested men have not been proven in court.
“A passion for TikTok cannot be more important than a human life,” Lahore police said, adding that no one should be allowed to endanger others for entertainment.
The case also comes amid tighter restrictions on privately kept big cats in Punjab, the province that includes Lahore. Investigators are working to determine whether the farmhouse complied with wildlife licensing and enclosure requirements—and whether negligence contributed to Talha’s death.
Leave a Reply