The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation wants to ban individuals owning lions following the viral video of a tame young lion in a Bentley convertible driven by a foreigner along a crowded street in Pattaya.
The video caused consternation among social media viewers, but not so along the street.
DNP director-general Attapol Charoenchansa said on Wednesday that the Bentley in the video was registered in Phuket to a "Ms Atcharaporn". The driver was a dark-skinned, bald foreign man, not a woman. He declined to give the woman's full name.
The Bentley was leased from TNP Import Cars Phuket Co, the DNP chief said.
Examination of the microchip implanted in the young lion in the car showed the animal was registered to a woman in Bang Phong district of Ratchaburi, Sawangjit Kosungneon. An application had been filed to transfer ownership to an address in Chon Buri, but the process was not yet complete.
Residents of Phra Tamnak Soi 5 in Pattaya, where the video was taken, said they often saw the foreigner driving the Bentley with a lion in the back seat. Their usual route was to Dong Tan beach and Yin Yom beach, and then back home in the evening. The lion appeared tame, was always calm and was fitted with a collar and leash.
The DNP chief said the driver was an Indian national and a friend of Ms Sawangjit.
He said lions were listed in Category Kor (dangerous wildlife). The transfer of ownership of the lion for display in a public area, not in a safe and secure place, contravened DNP regulations. This offence carried a maxumim penalty of six months in prison and/or fine of 50,000 baht, Mr Attapol said.
Failure to notify authorities of possession of Category Kor animals carried a maximum 12 months sentence and/or fine of 100,000 baht, he said.
A total of 153 lions were registered to 24 owners in Thailand, individuals and private zoos.
In Chon Buri province, four Thai individuals and one zoon had registered possession of 15 lions, he said.
The lion in the Pattaya video was 5-6 months old. Animals of this kind cost about about 500,000 baht each. They were popular with Thais and foreigners in the eastern province.
He said the department would review its regulations regarding the 10 species of wildlife in Category Kor, after checks found individuals owners treated them just like other animals, without proper increased safety controls.
“The department has floated the idea of preventing individuals from possessing fierce wild animals that may pose a danger to others. It is not neccessary. If not in a zoo, permits should not be approved,’’ the wildlife chief said.
The issue would be tabled for discussion at a meeting soon, he said.