A newlywed couple in Pakistan has been drawing severe backlash from animal lovers across the globe after social media photographs allegedly showed a “sedated” lion cub being used as a prop for the couple’s wedding photoshoot.
According to the Indian Express, the image was posted by a photography studio on Instagram. In the video, the bride and the groom are seen holding hands while a lion cub seems to be asleep. The next frame showed the cub moved more towards the front.
The hashtag #SherdiRani was posted – a reference to a wild animal that apparently receives its hunting skills at two-years-of-age.
Animal advocates and rescue groups including JFK Animal Rescue and Shelter, Save the Wild and Save Pakistan’s Wildlife expressed their concerns about the threats of hunting, loss of habitat and pesticides along with disdain for using a wild animal as a prop.
PunjabWildlife does your permit allow for a lion cub to be rented out for ceremonies? Look at this poor cub sedated and being used as a prop. This studio is in Lahore where this cub is being kept. Rescue him please.”
Tragically, in Pakistan people can obtain licenses to own wildlife and then can treat the animals as they like. The government does little to protect wildlife, and trends like this – using wild animals as props for photoshoots have become popular.
“Animal cruelty is divided by class system too,” wrote the JFK Animal Rescue and Shelter on Instagram. “There is abuse on every level. From lions to dogs to donkeys…”
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Such a clever parrot!
Thank you for saving my life.
No animal should be used in this appalling way.
INSANITY AND INHUMANITY–WHAT A WAY TO START A MARRIAGE! FORTUNATELY, “KARMA” DOESN’T WASTE ANY TIME!