Petting cafes to homes: Thailand’s soaring captive lion population

Behind a car repair concern connected an unremarkable Thai thoroughfare are the cherished pets of a rising TikTok carnal influencer: Two lions and a 200kg (440lb) lion-tiger hybrid called “Big George”.

Lion ownership is ineligible successful Thailand, and Tharnuwarht Plengkemratch is an enthusiastic advocate, posting updates connected his feline companions to astir 3 cardinal followers.

“They’re playful and affectionate, conscionable similar dogs oregon cats,” helium said from wrong their cage analyzable astatine his location successful the bluish metropolis of Chiang Mai.

Thailand’s captive lion colonisation has soared successful caller years, with astir 500 registered successful zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes.

The roar is prompted by societal media, wherever owners similar Tharnuwarht station lighthearted contented and glamour shots with lions.

Since 2022, Thai instrumentality has required owners to registry and microchip lions, and pass authorities earlier moving them.

But determination are nary breeding caps, fewer enclosure oregon payment requirements, and nary controls connected liger oregon tigon hybrids.

Tharnuwarht Plengkemratch with his favored lion-tiger hybrid “Big George” [Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP]

Tom Taylor, main operating serviceman of conservation radical Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, and his colleagues person tracked the emergence successful lion ownership with on-site visits and by trawling societal media.

They recorded astir 130 successful 2018, and astir 450 by 2024. But astir 350 much lions they encountered were “lost to follow-up” aft their whereabouts could not beryllium confirmed for a year.

That could bespeak unreported deaths, an carnal removed from show oregon “worst-case scenarios”, said Taylor. “We person interviewed traders (in the region) who person fixed america prices for unrecorded and dormant lions and person told america they tin instrumentality them implicit the border.”

As a susceptible species, lions and their parts tin lone beryllium sold internationally with Convention connected International Trade successful Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permits.

Media reports and societal media person documented lions, including cubs, successful Cambodia aggregate times successful caller years, though CITES shows nary registered imports since 2003.

There is besides increasing grounds that captive lion numbers successful Laos transcend CITES import licences.

In Thailand, meanwhile, imports of lion parts similar bones, skins and teeth person dropped successful caller years, though request remains, raising questions astir however parts are present being sourced.

Thai trader Pathamawadee Janpithak started successful the crocodile business, but pivoted to lions arsenic prices for the reptiles declined. She sells one-month-olds for astir 500,000 baht ($15,395), down from a highest of 800,000 baht ($24,638) arsenic breeding operations similar hers summation supply.

Pathamawadee’s 3 facilities location astir 80 lions, from a stately full-maned nine-year-old to a sickly brace of eight-day-olds being bottle-fed astir the clock.

He sells astir fractional of the 90 cubs she breeds each year, often to different breeders, who are progressively opening “lion cafes” wherever customers airs with and favored young lions.

A month-old lion astatine a breeding installation successful Chachoengsao state [Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP]

The increasing lion colonisation is simply a occupation for Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), admitted wildlife extortion manager Sadudee Punpugdee.

“But backstage ownership has existed for a agelong time… So we’re taking a gradual approach,” helium said.

That includes limiting lion imports truthful breeders are forced to trust connected the home population.

Already stretched authorities look hard choices connected enforcing regulations, arsenic confiscated animals go their responsibility, said Penthai Siriwat, amerciable wildlife commercialized specializer astatine WWF Thailand.

“There is simply a large woody of deliberation earlier intervening … considering the important costs,” said Siriwat. Owners similar Tharnuwarht often invoke conservation to warrant their pets, but Thailand’s captive lions volition ne'er unrecorded successful the wild.

Sanctuary main vet Natanon Panpeth treads cautiously portion discussing the lion trade, informing lone that the “wellbeing of the animals should ever travel first”.

Sadudee is hopeful immoderate provisions whitethorn beryllium tightened, though a prohibition is improbable for now. He has his proposal for would-be owners: “Wild animals beryllium successful the wild.

“There are plentifulness of different animals we tin support arsenic pets.”