A Pakistani YouTube influencer, Rajab Butt, has been mandated to produce 12 animal welfare videos after being penalized for illegally owning a lion cub.
YouTube Star Penalized to Promote Animal Welfare After Illegal Lion Ownership
YouTube Star Penalized to Promote Animal Welfare After Illegal Lion Ownership
Pakistani YouTuber Rajab Butt sentenced to educate viewers on animal rights following lion cub incident.
In an unusual ruling, Rajab Butt, a prominent content creator with 5.6 million subscribers, has been sentenced by the court to produce a total of 12 educational videos focused on animal welfare. This comes after Butt was found to be in unlawful possession of a lion cub he received during his wedding from fellow YouTuber Umar Dolla, known for his channel Lion Hub.
Authorities swiftly intervened and relocated the cub, now named Bhatti, to Lahore Safari Zoo. Acknowledging the severity of the situation, Butt expressed regret for accepting the cub and admitted that maintaining wild animals 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 set a wrong example,” he stated in a public apology.
In accordance with the community service order, Butt will create a five-minute video each month for the next year to raise awareness about wild animal rights. The local wildlife department has been ordered to assist in the creation of this content aimed at educating his followers.
The situation came to light when a wildlife officer, alerted by a video showcasing the lion cub, reported Butt to the police. Although Dolla argued that he remained the legal owner of the cub, the court determined that it had been unlawfully transferred to Butt.
Tariq Janjua, director of the Lahore Safari Zoo, emphasized the risks associated with keeping lions as pets, declaring, “Lions cannot be domesticated. Keeping them is both cruel to the animal and a danger to humans.” Butt’s case has sparked a larger conversation about animal welfare and the responsibilities of content creators in Pakistan, as many call for stricter regulations regarding the ownership of exotic creatures.
Authorities swiftly intervened and relocated the cub, now named Bhatti, to Lahore Safari Zoo. Acknowledging the severity of the situation, Butt expressed regret for accepting the cub and admitted that maintaining wild animals 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 set a wrong example,” he stated in a public apology.
In accordance with the community service order, Butt will create a five-minute video each month for the next year to raise awareness about wild animal rights. The local wildlife department has been ordered to assist in the creation of this content aimed at educating his followers.
The situation came to light when a wildlife officer, alerted by a video showcasing the lion cub, reported Butt to the police. Although Dolla argued that he remained the legal owner of the cub, the court determined that it had been unlawfully transferred to Butt.
Tariq Janjua, director of the Lahore Safari Zoo, emphasized the risks associated with keeping lions as pets, declaring, “Lions cannot be domesticated. Keeping them is both cruel to the animal and a danger to humans.” Butt’s case has sparked a larger conversation about animal welfare and the responsibilities of content creators in Pakistan, as many call for stricter regulations regarding the ownership of exotic creatures.
