The number of domestic lions explodes: “pure madness”

Behind his garage on an anonymous street in a town in northern Thailand, Tharnuwarht Plengkemratch has installed his beloved pets: two white lionesses, and a 200 kilo lion-tiger hybrid called “Big George”.

In Thailand, the law allows individuals to have the “king of animals” in their home.

From Chiang Mai, Tharnuwarht shares on TikTok, where he has around three million subscribers, the daily life of his three big felines, who “like to play and are affectionate, like dogs and cats”, he describes.

“I want to show people that lions can get along well with humans,” he assures, although his cautious interactions in “Big George’s” enclosure remain limited to a few minutes.

The captive lion population has exploded in recent years in the Southeast Asian kingdom, with more than 500 individuals recorded in zoos, breeding farms, animal cafes and private homes.

The phenomenon endangers lions and their human entourage, specialists have warned, against a backdrop of illegal animal trafficking.

Social media, where sharing content with the majestic feline always has an effect, has aggravated the trend, said Tom Taylor, an official with the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (WFFT). “It’s pure madness,” he says. “It is terrifying to imagine, if the laws are not changed, what the situation will become in ten years.”

Since 2022, the law requires owners to register their pet lions, implant a microchip in them and notify authorities if they change residence.

But the text does not define any control over reproduction or hybrids, and the requirements regarding enclosure conservation conditions remain minimal.

Births of species found in the wild in Thailand, such as the tiger, must be reported within 24 hours. For a lion, its owner has 60 days.

“It’s a huge window,” says Mr. Taylor. “What can be done with a litter of lion cubs in these 60 days? Lots of things.”

This expert and his colleagues noted the recent tripling of the number of lions in captivity, from around 130 in 2018 to around 450 in 2024, based on social media searches and on-site visits.

But, due to lack of proof of life for a year, 350 other felines disappeared from their radars, perhaps due to unreported deaths, because the animal is no longer exposed to the public, or, “worse” still, because of illegal trade, according to Mr. Taylor.

“We interviewed professionals who gave us the prices for live or dead lions, and told us that they could collect them at the border,” he explains.

There is ample evidence of trafficking in lions or their parts, several experts told AFP, who requested anonymity for fear of being noticed by the authorities. In addition to Thailand, the phenomenon also affects Laos and Cambodia.

Thai breeder Pathamawadee Janpithak, 32, started out in crocodile trading, before the fall in prices linked to the reptile pushed her towards the lion.

She sells one-month-old lion cubs for around 500,000 bahts (12,000 €). After a peak at 800,000 bahts (20,000 €), the market readjusted according to the supply made more abundant by the development of reproduction sites.

Captive lions, which devour two kilos of chicken carcasses per day, can have litters of two to six lion cubs, once or twice a year.

The three facilities that Pathamawadee controls in Chachoengsao (central) house approximately 80 individuals, ranging from an imposing nine-year-old lion to a pair of sick 8-day-old lions, bottle-fed 24 hours a day.

They have white coats due to a genetic mutation. White lions, which are sometimes mistakenly considered an “endangered” subspecies, are popular in Thailand.

But their low numbers increase the chances of inbreeding and disease.

Pathamawadee sighs over the case of a one-month-old white lion cub, ill since birth, which has not attracted any buyers, and whose genetic heritage is too poor for reproduction.

It is also increasingly difficult to find buyers willing to respect the law, she laments.

“Before, people could pay and leave with a lion. Today, everything has become more complicated,” she describes.

She says she sells about half of the 90 babies born each year on her farm, often to other breeders, who are increasingly inclined to open “lion cafes” where customers can pose and cuddle the feline.

Near Chiang Mai, a trainer woke a lion cub from its nap so it could play with a group of enthusiastic Chinese tourists.

The cafe allowed AFP to film the interaction but, like all other similar businesses contacted, declined an interview request.

Pathamawadee no longer sells to cafes, which tend to get rid of the little ones within a few weeks, after they are fully grown. She has recovered traumatized lion cubs, who had become unfit for reproduction, she assures.

The rising lion population is a problem for Thailand’s National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNP) agency, admits Sadudee Punpugdee, director of wildlife protection.

Current measures aim in particular to limit the importation of lions, so that breeders can concentrate on the existing population.

“As inbreeding increases, the quality of lions declines, and we believe demand will decline as a result,” he said.

But the already overstretched authorities are faced with difficult choices on the application of the rules, especially since the confiscated animals fall under their responsibility, describes Penthai Siriwat, of WWF Thailand.

“There is a lot of deliberation before the intervention, given the substantial costs,” she explains.

Owners like Tharnuwarht often talk about their concern for conservation, but these captive African lions from Thailand will never live in the wild.

Khanom and Khanun, two years old each, are living in a sanctuary run by the DNP in Suphanburi (center) after being confiscated.

They can live at least ten years longer, and require specialized guardians, food and care.

“The psychological and physical well-being of the animals must always come first,” explains the site’s head veterinarian, Natanon Panpeth.

The United States and United Arab Emirates have banned the ownership of big cats in recent years, and Thailand is due to review its legislation soon.

Sadudee hopes for a strengthening of existing laws, although the property is unlikely to be banned at this time.

“Wild animals belong to nature. There are plenty of other animals that you can have as pets,” he says.