Pakistan YouTuber ordered to make animal welfare videos to own lion

A Pakistani YouTube star has been ordered to create 12 animal welfare videos as punishment for illegally possessing a lion cub.

Rajab Butt, who has 5.6 million subscribers, was pictured with the puppy after the owner of another YouTube channel gave it to him at his wedding last month.

Under a community service order, Mr Butt has been ordered to produce a five-minute video a month for a year to educate his audience.

The Cub has been shifted to Lahore Safari Zoo by the authorities and named Bhatti.

In a statement, Butt said he regretted taking in the cub and acknowledged that “keeping wild animals in such circumstances is inappropriate.”

“As a social media influencer, I should create positive content. I was not authorized to keep the lion cub, and by doing so, I am setting a wrong example,” he added.

A court also ordered the Department of Wildlife to help Mr. Butt produce his educational content.

A wildlife officer reported Butt to police after watching a video she posted to her YouTube channel last month of her hosting the cub at her wedding.

He was given a cage by Umar Dolla, who runs another YouTube channel called Lion Hub.

Dolla claimed in court that he remained the legal owner of the animal. However, the judge ruled that it had been seized by Butt, local media reported.

Butt said he would “provide community service through my social media platforms and spread a positive message about wild animal rights.”

Tariq Janjua, director of Lahore Safari Zoo, told local media that lions cannot be domesticated and keeping them was cruel to the animal and a danger to humans.