The Libyan police killed a runaway lion after it stormed into the home of a citizen in the city of Derna, eastern Libya.
This action came after the homeowner reported the lion’s entry into his house.
The police immediately moved to the scene, where the lion attacked one of their officers when they attempted to apprehend it, leading them to open fire and kill it.
The Agricultural Police in Derna announced details of the incident, stating that the injured officer was treated, and an official report was filed with the public prosecutor’s office.
The incident sparked widespread debate on social media, with some users praising the police’s swift response, while others criticized the decision to kill the lion instead of tranquilizing it and transferring it to a zoo.
Blogger Mohammed Elsery expressed his dismay at the use of live ammunition instead of tranquilizers, noting that countries worldwide use tranquilizer darts to deal with wild animals.
On the other hand, blogger Essam Ramadan addressed a message to the police, urging them to use tranquilizer guns in such situations, emphasizing the importance of treating animals with kindness and benefiting from them.
This incident reignited the discussion about the legality of keeping wild animals inside homes in Libya.
Many citizens called for a ban on owning these animals and holding violators accountable, especially with the increasing prevalence of this phenomenon in Libyan cities.
In recent years, there has been a growing trend of raising predatory animals, with lions and tigers being seen roaming the streets and public places accompanied by their owners, especially in the cities of Misrata and Tripoli.
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