LAHORE: Social media influencer Sarah Khan landed in hot waters after videos emerged showing her using a lioness as an entertainment prop at birthday party.
The Pakistani influencer hosted a birthday party in Lahore where a lioness was present. The wild cat was seen lying on a couch. It was chained and surrounded by people partying amid loud music.
The incident came to light when Protect Save Animals, an animal rescue organisation, shared the videos from the party on their official Instagram account.
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“While I am not against birthdays and how people choose to celebrate them but I am severely against people using animals as props. And that’s exactly what happened at Miss Susan’s birthday. Lions were shackled left and right and paraded as if they were a new decoration piece,” said the Instagram account.
The user asked Susan how she would feel if she was “sedated, tied up” and thrust in an environment with loud music and screaming people. “Animals are not decor that you can use to show your wealth and status at your events,” the organization added.
The advocacy page also shared another video that showed Susan petting the lion. Sayed Hassan, the founder of Project Save Animals, has started an online petition to call for an end to animals being used as party props.
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Two attendees of the party told a news outlet that they were unsure whether the lion was illegally rented or brought in by a guest.
A Lahore resident invited to the party told the news outlet that the lion was not abused but wasn’t amused either, while adding, “Everyone was just sort of scared, I guess, but the majority of people really enjoyed it.”
