Police are investigating after an eight-week-old lion was filmed having its claws trimmed at a grooming salon.
The young cub was filmed at a salon in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Christmas Day, prompting officials to contact police over animal welfare concerns.
The salon posted a video online of the animal being groomed, with staff expressing their delight at taking care of the cub.
‘We have met many different animals in our salon before: rabbits, guinea pigs, mini pigs.
‘But today our room was filled with complete delight, tenderness and happiness to touch such a miracle,’ the salon wrote in a post.
Users online criticised the cub’s owner for taking the animal to a grooming salon, and blamed the business for not reporting the young lion to local authorities.
Officials are concerned that the owners of the cub, named Hasan, aged between one and a half and two months old, are using the animal for photoshoots.
The animal’s claw may have been trimmed to prevent it from catching on clothing or other materials, Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor) have said.
The authorities were alerted about the lion cub after seeing the footage on social media.
Officials have warned that the cub could be at serious risk of health problems if it is treated without proper care.
They said that without the correct treatment, the animal could be at risk of living with severe illness or disability, or it could prove fatal.
Rosprirodnadzor added that lion cubs require specialist care and veterinary supervision, particularly at an early age.
Since January 2020, wild animals such as lions, tigers, pumas, lynxes and other species have been banned from being kept in captivity by private individuals in Russia.
The authority said it is reviewing the video and has asked local law enforcement agencies to identify the owner and check the legality of ownership.
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