Police have seized two lions, being kept as pets without the required permits, from a house in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district and relocated them to a wildlife breeding centre.

Accompanied by officials from the National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Department, the police presented a search warrant to the house owner, 28-year-old Jarinyaporn Kaewsai.

Officials used a crane to lift two cages containing lions onto a large truck. Jarinyaporn observed the confiscation of the big cats, called Alau and Lin, with tears in her eyes. The young lions also watched her until they were driven out of sight.

The presence of two 10-month-old lions in the house hit the headlines when an image was posted on the Facebook page ‘Pattayawatchdog’, showing a man walking a lion on a leash.

Jarinyaporn’s neighbours had reported their presence to the police, after one of the big cats escaped and roamed the streets for a while. Jarinyaporn will face charges for keeping controlled wild animals without a permit.