00:00Now, a crackdown against people keeping big cats as illegal pets has been launched in the province of Punjab in Pakistan.
00:07So far, 26 big cats have been rescued and eight people arrested.
00:12This comes after one lion escaped in the city of Lahore, attacking a woman and two children.
00:18The moment was captured on film two weeks ago and triggered public outrage.
00:23The BBC's Pakistan correspondent, Azadeh Mushiri, joined wildlife officials on their raids.
00:30Caged and abandoned. Cubs rescued. One by one.
00:45Officials worry their parents are hidden away in unsafe conditions.
00:51People breed lions and then sell the cubs to others who keep them as pets on rooftops.
00:57So these breeding farms are the root of the problem.
01:01The man responsible is missing, leaving his caretaker holding the bag.
01:08Public pressure has led to nearly daily raids.
01:13After this video triggered a public uproar.
01:16A pet lion escaping and attacking a woman and two children in Lahore.
01:20One breeder has been given three months to build bigger cages and comply with guidelines.
01:30What about their welfare, their well-being?
01:32We have a wet veterinary doctor. He visits like every after two, three days.
01:38They are happy, I think. They're eating, they're breeding.
01:40How can you tell they're happy?
01:44Because they come to us, they want to play with us and they don't show aggression.
01:50What about this one?
01:53This line is aggressive.
01:55Aggressive?
01:56Yeah.
01:58Big cats are extremely popular in Punjab.
02:02Symbol of the ruling PMLN party, supporters defy laws and occasionally take them to rallies.
02:08Now, as these raids continue, there are still people who are openly selling lions and cubs.
02:15And we managed to get in touch with one man in a busy neighbourhood.
02:19These are the cubs over here that he has bred.
02:27More people watch others with lions on social media and get tempted to buy them, especially since 2015.
02:34There are so many big cats in Punjab.
02:36Officials worry there isn't enough space in public zoos to relocate them.
02:42As for the cubs they rescued earlier, they're receiving medical checks before they're released into the main park.
02:49Officials say soon, more big cats will join them.
02:53Azadeh Mishiri, BBC News, Islamabad.
