Dubai Police have seized lions and lion cubs from some residential homes in the emirates.
A rare monkey was among the eight wild animals seized.
A senior official of the Department of Anti-Environment Crime at the Dubai Police said that these animals were owned for the purposes of “possession, trade and hobby.”
However, a UAE law bars the possession of wild or endangered animals. The police force has also established a special section for combating “environmental crimes and crimes against endangered or dangerous animals and plants”.
There were complaints that the animals seized from some houses in the emirate were seen wandering in residential units.
An official said that “possession of animals, such as lions, tigers, crocodiles and other animals pose a threat to life, as such animals can cause injury or death to a person, especially when there are children at home.”
