Lion escapes, mauls mum and kids

Terrifying footage has captured the moment a lion escapes its enclosure and attacks a mother and her two young children. Warning: graphic content.

Wild video shows an escaped lion attacking a mother and her two children in the street — as its owner allegedly stood by and watched.

The big cat escaped last week from a farmhouse in Lahore, Pakistan — before surveillance footage caught it leaping over a wall and running at a mum with her two kids, ages 5 and 7.

Terrifying moment caught on camera as an escaped lion mauls a mother and her two young children. Picture: Lahore Police

The animal leaped over a wall and ran at a mom with her two kids, ages 5 and 7. Picture: Lahore Police

The unidentified mum turned and tried to flee — just for the terrifying animal to leap on her back, clinging on as she fell to the ground.

While some bystanders were seen rushing over to help the mom and kids as they were mauled, the lion’s owner was there — but made no effort to help, according to a police report.

The unidentified owner — who was arrested days later — made no effort to restrain the escaped beast, the attacked children’s dad told police.

The mum and her young kids suffered injuries to their faces and arms, but none are life-threatening, officials said.

The lion’s owner allegedly stood by and watched. Picture: Lahore Police

The mum and her young kids suffered injuries to their faces and arms, but none are life-threatening, officials said.Picture: Lahore Police

The lion was kept in the farmhouse without a license, Mubeen Elahi, Director General of the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department, told Dawn.

“According to the new regulations for keeping big cats, no individual is allowed to keep a lion without a license, without adhering to the required cage size and without following other standard operating procedures,” Elahi told the outlet, noting that illegal ownership was punishable by up to seven years.

The director said farms in the region would be inspected by the end of the week, and that 18 big cats had already been confiscated in department raids.

The lion was eventually relocated to a wildlife park, officials said.

The woman and child did not suffer life-threatening injuries, according to the outlet

With Post wires

This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.

Originally published as Lion escapes, mauls mum and kids