LifestyleLion spotted in the backseat of a Bentley: Shocking video prompts police investigation in Thailand

Lion spotted in the backseat of a Bentley: Shocking video prompts police investigation in Thailand

Though owning a lion in Thailand is legal, the video of this wild animal seated in the back of a white Bentley convertible has drawn the attention of locals, tourists, and the police.

The recording with the lion in the main role moved internet users.
The recording with the lion in the main role moved internet users.
Images source: © Adobe Stock

4:32 AM EST, January 26, 2024

A lion takes a tour in a convertible

The recordings, shared on Facebook among other platforms, depict a chained lion being transported through the streets of the seaside resort of Pattaya in the back seat of a luxury car. The driver was a Sri Lankan citizen, while the lion's owner, Swangjit Kosoongern, was an associate of the driver.

Featuring prominently under the post were comments such as: "It's unbelievable, what narcissistic idiots roam this planet," "Nothing in this world surprises me anymore," "They have too much money," and "Poor animal." "It's just a big kitty," - joked another user.

Potential consequences

The Thai police promptly launched an investigation into the incident. Although owning a lion in Thailand is legal, it must be officially registered. Police claim the animal's owner, Sawangjit, bought the lion from someone without the necessary permissions.

The woman may potentially face charges of possessing a wild animal without the necessary permit, resulting in a sentence of up to a year in prison and a fine of up to 100,000 baht (about $3,059). The Sri Lankan man who paraded the wild animal in public could also be held accountable and face up to six months in prison and a fine of 50,000 baht (about $1,530).

According to Thai authorities, private owners currently hold 224 legally registered lions.

Source: PAP/Facebook

© essanews.com
·

Downloading, reproduction, storage, or any other use of content available on this website—regardless of its nature and form of expression (in particular, but not limited to verbal, verbal-musical, musical, audiovisual, audio, textual, graphic, and the data and information contained therein, databases and the data contained therein) and its form (e.g., literary, journalistic, scientific, cartographic, computer programs, visual arts, photographic)—requires prior and explicit consent from Wirtualna Polska Media Spółka Akcyjna, headquartered in Warsaw, the owner of this website, regardless of the method of exploration and the technique used (manual or automated, including the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence programs). The above restriction does not apply solely to facilitate their search by internet search engines and uses within contractual relations or permitted use as specified by applicable law.Detailed information regarding this notice can be found  here.