Champagne glasses clink at a bustling party in Bangkok, where elegantly dressed guests share laughter and mingle. They take turns posing with a cat, casually shifting it from one person to another. But as the camera focuses, it becomes evident that this is no ordinary pet; it’s a cub resembling a lion. A woman in a striking red cocktail dress playfully lifts the cub to her face for a kiss, all while the camera clicks.

Such clips flood social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, providing insight into Thailand’s rapidly growing lion trading industry. According to recent reports from The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand and the Oxford Wildlife Trade Research Group, the number of lions in captivity has more than tripled since 2018. A network of lion farms has emerged to cater to this rising demand, often managed by individuals lacking proper wildlife care experience.

Lion breeder Patama Wadee Champituck greets visitors in her nursery, where the scent of kitten formula fills the air.

“When we began, we had little experience,” she admits, noting that she has sold over 80 lions across Thailand.

The buyers include both Thai nationals and foreigners, all of whom are affluent. Prices for Thai lion cubs start at $5,000 (£3,700), with rare white cubs fetching as much as $15,000. Owning a lion comes with hefty expenses, including the need for a secure enclosure and as much as 10kg of fresh meat daily.

Most buyers desire the youngest lions possible. Although some customers purchase directly from the farm, others work with agents promoting the cubs on social media.

As these animals grow, complications frequently arise. “Some buyers can’t handle their lions,” says Patamawadi. “They often ask us to take them back.”

The report reveals that this “buyback” system forms the basis of the farm’s business model, allowing owners to experience lion ownership without a long-term commitment. Older lions can be used for breeding or sold to zoos, generating profit at each life stage.

Frequent transfers between facilities hinder the tracking of individual lions, which contributes to discrepancies between official data and actual numbers. The report identifies at least 444 captured lions, with 138 registered since 2018 with the Department of Thai National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation. Researchers believe true numbers may be significantly higher due to a lack of registered sales or breeding activities.

Despite regulatory efforts, numerous loopholes persist, enabling the trade to thrive. In 2019, the government enacted the Wildlife Conservation Act, regulating ownership of non-native, CITES-listed species like lions that were previously broadly protected. Unfortunately, this legislation inadvertently fueled lion trading by creating legal avenues with significant surveillance gaps. Owning a lion requires a license; however, breeding does not have the same restrictions. Anyone legally owning a lion can breed it, and cubs only need registration once they are 60 days old, with hybrid species, such as ligers, entirely excluded from the law. Consequently, this industry, valued at over $1 million (£740,000) annually, continues to flourish.

Taweesak Anansiriwattana, a Bangkok veterinarian known as Dr. Vee, operates in a clinic on the city’s outskirts. “I do not endorse keeping lions as pets,” he states. Over the past five years, he has dealt with over 25 privately owned lions. “Our humid climate leads to common skin infections,” he adds, noting malnutrition is prevalent since many owners feed their lions only chicken when they require organ meats like liver and intestines to thrive. Enclosure requirements mandate a minimum of 3m x 3m, but Dr. Vee found that less than half of the households he visited met these criteria.

“There are significant welfare issues affecting these animals,” states Tom Taylor, Operations Chief of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, who co-authored the report. “Many facilities provide miserable conditions, keeping lions in dark, barren enclosures, with inadequate diets.” To satisfy demand, breeders frequently separate cubs from their mothers early, prompting rapid return to breeding cycles. Inbreeding is especially prevalent among white lions and hybrids, increasing their perceived value.

Lions not indigenous to Thailand are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. While the captive population offers little conservation benefit, Taylor warns that it opens pathways for human trafficking and elevates risks to wild lion populations. “We have credible reports indicating that Thai lions are being illegally exported, both alive and for their body parts,” he noted, explaining that these lions may be filling the market gap created by restrictions on the tiger trade.

Public safety also emerges as a critical concern, evidenced by reports of lions escaping from private enclosures and entering public areas. In 2024, a viral video featured a man driving a lion in a convertible car, triggering widespread alarm. In response, the National Parks Director announced that the government is contemplating amendments to existing laws, including tighter regulations around lion ownership.

The report advocates for emergency bans on individual ownership and commercial breeding, increased licensing requirements, and restrictions on lion cafes and photo ops. These practices are believed to elevate the allure of exotic pets. “Many individuals are attracted to owning a lion without fully grasping the ethical, financial, and safety repercussions,” states Taylor. He points out that similar trends are emerging for other non-native species, such as ring-tailed lemurs and red pandas. “We hope this report encourages the public to consider the origins of these animals, their rearing conditions, and what happens when they grow too large and dangerous to manage.”

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