A lion becomes a mane attraction online as his owner gives him a bizarre shower at car wash in Saudi Arabia.
Astonishing footage shows the apparently happy lion sitting in the back of a Toyota pickup truck as he is soaked with a high-pressure car wash hose.
Without turning a hair in his magnificent mane, the lion – kept in place by a chain around his neck – seems to enjoy the sensation as he leans into the stream of water.
In the clip – which emerged on social media – a young man can be heard boasting: “I challenge anyone to do what I did.”
Police in Saudi Arabia are now trying to work out exactly where and when the eyebrow-raising scenes were filmed.
The images have divided netizens.
One wrote: “The lion looks happy.”
But another called the stunt “extremely dangerous”.
Another social media user took to X (formerly Twitter) to joke about the big cat: “If his mood changes, God help us.”
Hamza Al-Ghamdi – from Saudi Arabia’s Rahma Association for Animal Welfare – told local media: “We have witnessed significant recklessness and disregard for human life by the owner of this lion, who took the risk of driving around with it in his vehicle, only restrained by a chain around its neck that could break for various reasons.”
Breeding lions is illegal under Saudi law, with a decade-long jail term and fines reaching a whopping SAR 30 million (GBP 6.3 million) for convicted offenders.
Al-Ghamdi urged anyone who sees wild animals kept in captivity to report them to police.
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Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Central European News
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