A Pakistani TikToker has been arrested after a tiger was released from its cage to film a social media video, resulting in the death of a 19-year-old farm worker.
The incident occurred on November 11 at a private wildlife breeding farm in Kahna, near Lahore, Pakistan, where influencer Noman Hassan had arrived to record content featuring the big cat.
According to The Independent, Hassan, who has approximately 2.5 million Instagram followers and 928,000 TikTok followers, allegedly took the tiger out of its enclosure to film a video.
The situation turned deadly when the animal attacked a teenage employee identified as Talha. The 19-year-old suffered critical injuries and was rushed to a private hospital, where he later died.
TikToker arrested as police investigate deadly tiger attack
Hassan and the farm’s owner, identified as Fayyaz, were subsequently arrested by Lahore police, who also launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Talha’s death.
According to Dawn, investigators believe an attempt was made to cover up the incident by claiming the teenager had been attacked by a dog rather than a tiger. Initial local reports identified the animal as a tiger, although other Pakistani outlets have suggested it may have been a lion.
Police have since confirmed that a big cat was responsible and transferred the animal into the custody of wildlife authorities.
ScreenshotInvestigators are also examining whether the farm had the necessary permits to keep the tiger and whether appropriate safety measures were in place.
“A passion for TikTok cannot be more important than a human life,” Lahore police said in a statement.
“No one can be allowed to put human life at risk in the name of a hobby or entertainment. The attempt to hide the facts and every aspect of negligence will be investigated.”
The incident comes just over a month after a man died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in the UK.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed that the man suffered fatal injuries during the October 10 attack, while the tiger remained unharmed.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
