Lion Cub Found in Hotel Room in Thailand, Owner Faces Charges

On February 17, police in Phuket, Thailand, came to the hotel of a Chinese national after reports of an animal that she was illegally keeping were sent to them. It turned out to be true, with the police finding a lion cub in her hotel room.

The woman did not display any intention to keep its existence a secret. She would bring it with her on three-hour walks around the hotel’s cafe and grounds.

The director of Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division (NRECD) confirmed that the cub was a two-month-old female named Kiwi. The woman bought her for 250,000 baht ($6,940 USD) last January 9 from a company stationed in Bangkok.

Though it is legal to own a lion in Thailand, the woman in question did not follow the correct procedures to do so. The large cat is considered a controlled animal and thus should be placed in a home that was approved by authorities. Its location must also not be moved without their permission and all paperwork must be secure—all of which the woman did not comply with.

She is currently locked up and will be charged under the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act. Kiwi, meanwhile, was put under the care of the relevant local organizations.