Pakistani teen mauled to death by tigress released from cage for TikTok video shoot

A 19-year-old Pakistani teenager was mauled to death by a tigress after it was let out of its cage for a TikTok video shoot. The victim, identified as Talha, was working at a private breeding facility in Kahna, Lahore district, when the animal attacked him. He was rushed to a private hospital but died while undergoing treatment on Wednesday, according to local reports. Police identified the arrested farm owner as Fayyaz and the TikToker as Noman. Investigators allege that the influencer had visited the property to film a video and asked for the animal to be released from its enclosure. The animal subsequently lost control and attacked the worker, police said.

The incident also triggered an investigation into an alleged attempt to conceal the circumstances of the death. Police said efforts were made to portray the attack as an incident involving a dog rather than a big cat. The animal has since been handed over to wildlife authorities. Authorities are examining whether the farm had the necessary permits to keep the animal and whether adequate safety measures were in place at the facility. A case has been registered and investigations into possible negligence are under way. In a statement, Lahore Police said that the pursuit of social media content could not come at the cost of human life. It said all aspects of the alleged negligence and the attempt to conceal the attack would be investigated. There has been some confusion in initial media reports over whether the animal was a tiger or a lion. Lahore Police's statement described it as a tigress.