One lion blew it through a private vehicle and was found roaming the streets of Karachi at rush hour, causing panic among residents for two hours until it was caught again.

The feline’s owner moved it to another location when it escaped, on the main street of the bustling city. “Our teams immediately rushed here. Praise be to Allah (the lion) is safe with us and no one is in danger now,” Wildlife Service inspector Mukhtiar Somro said.

The lion took refuge in the basement of a nearby building after wandering the streets of the city for a while. The result was to cause a traffic jam, as several media vans arrived at the scene to cover the report and a crowd gathered to get a close look at the animal.

The Wildlife Service announced that the lion was taken to its premises, because it is forbidden to have lions at home in residential areas. The owner of the animal has been arrested and will be brought to justice, said police director Shiraz Nazir.

It is not uncommon to have feral cats at home in Pakistan. It is known that wealthy businessmen keep private zoos, and sometimes they open them to the public. In 2017, police arrested a man who took his lion for a nighttime ride through the streets of Karachi in his car.

News of the “runaway” went viral on social media sites, with some expressing concern and others treating the matter with humor. “The lion takes his walk in Karachi at his ease because he knows that the law of the jungle prevails here” wrote one user on the X platform, indirectly commenting on the high crime rate in the city.