A 19-year-old man has been mauled to death by a tiger while filming a TikTok video at a wildlife breeding facility in Lahore, Pakistan, prompting police to arrest the farm owner and a social media influencer.
The victim, identified as Talha, was reportedly recording content at the facility in the Kahna area on Wednesday when the female tiger attacked him after it was brought out of its cage for the video shoot.
Talha, who worked at the breeding centre, sustained severe injuries and was rushed to a hospital in critical condition but later died. His father and brother, Hashim, who were also employees at the facility, reportedly witnessed the incident.
Following the tragedy, the police arrested the farm owner, identified as Fayyaz, and a TikTok content creator, Norman Hassan, who allegedly requested that the animal be released from its enclosure for the recording.
Investigators reportedly discovered that the teenager was attacked by the tiger, contradicting an earlier account allegedly given by Hassan that he had been mauled by a dog.
The tigress has since been handed over to the Wildlife Department as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack and determine whether the facility had the required permits to keep the animal.
Reacting to the incident, the police condemned the apparent disregard for human safety in the pursuit of online popularity, warning that social media entertainment must never take precedence over human life.
“A passion for TikTok cannot be more important than a human life. No one can be allowed to put human life at risk in the name of hobby or entertainment,” the police said, adding that any attempt to conceal the circumstances of the incident and evidence of negligence would be thoroughly investigated.
Lahore police confirmed the arrests, stating that officers from the Kahna division had taken the farm operator and the TikTok influencer into custody as investigations continued.
