Remains of Missing Teenager Found Inside Lion's Enclosure at Zoo
A grief-stricken family is looking for answers after the remains of a teenage boy were found inside a lion enclosure at a zoo in Pakistan on Feb. 27.
According to CNN, Muhammad Bilal, reportedly 17 or 18, was a worker at Safari Park Lahore, located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Questions about the teen’s disappearance remain unanswered, with zoo staff confirming his blood-soaked skull, some human bones and Bilal’s clothing were found inside the lion cage.
The boy’s family tried to search for him the night before at the zoo, but were told it was too dangerous.
“We told them it was too late and could be dangerous to launch a search in the dark,” Chaudhry Shafqat, deputy director of Safari Park Lahore, told the BBC.
“Bilal went missing Monday and later after his family came asking, a skull and two bones were found inside the enclosure of Safari Park Lahore which had four lions inside,” Shafqat said.
Bilal’s father confirmed the boy’s clothing the following day, The Sunday Times reported.
Missing Teen’s Remains Found in Lion’s Enclosure at Pakistani Zoo https://t.co/WGe6OjiwQL
— People (@people) February 28, 2020
It has yet to be confirmed how or why Bilal ended up inside the enclosure, some speculating perhaps foul play, Shafqat told CNN.
“There is a safety fence in place, but that is to keep the animals in their enclosures,” Shafqat told AFP. “People come in vehicles all the time and we haven’t had such an incident before.”
The remains of a teenager who had been missing for two days have been found inside the lion enclosure of a safari park in Pakistan https://t.co/5E5BGsQqfH
— The Times (@thetimes) February 26, 2020
But Saqlain Shah, a local police inspector, believes that Bilal deliberately went inside the lion’s area, perhaps to gather fodder for cattle.
“The man was seen jumping the perimeter and his family knew that he had entered the lions’ enclosure,” Shah told The Times.
Shah added that investigators are reviewing surveillance camera footage obtained by the park administrators to solve the mystery of the boy’s death.
According to the BBC, Safari Park Lahore was established in 1982 and is Pakistan’s largest and oldest animal park.
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