Feature

Viral: Lions on the beach. Is this legal in UAE?

Anyone who takes a leopard, cheetah or any other kind of exotic animal out in public will face a jail term of up to six months and a fine of up to 500,000 dirhams.

They are hailed as ‘king of the beasts’ for their ferociousness and outstanding size. While they live in a variety of habitats, lions prefer savannas and open woodlands. But what happens when the ‘kings of the jungle’ walk not on the grasslands but on the shore?

An odd video is making the rounds online, as it shows two huge powerfully built lions strolling along the ocean shores while being handled by two individuals on leashes.

Originally posted on a Reddit subchannel on November 12, the video instantly went viral just hours after its upload. It was immediately cross-posted on Dubai’s Reddit community by one user, claiming that the location of the video is in Dubai.

“Is this legal? Lions on the beach,” captioned the post.

A user said, “That is in Dubai. I would recognize that hotel from anywhere.”

Meanwhile, one user said that the video may have been taken at the huge beach front houses in the Sufouh Road.

While many Reddit users claim that the video was captured in Dubai, it remains unclear when it was exactly taken.

The viral video sparked many negative feedbacks and comments from Reddit users, stating that it is an act of animal cruelty.

In 2017, the private ownership of wild animals and exotic creatures has been outlawed in the UAE.

Anyone who takes a leopard, cheetah or any other kind of exotic animal out in public will face a jail term of up to six months and a fine of up to 500,000 dirhams, according to the new law.

As of the writing of this article, the original post garnered 1.9k upvotes and over 160 comments on the Reddit community. Read full thread here.

Related Articles

Back to top button