Young boy hospitalised after encounter with lion

A LION kept at a private home in Thailand got loose and attacked a young boy, leaving him in hospital, the wildlife department said yesterday.

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The lion attacked the child, who was hospitalised with unspecified injuries, while he was walking on a public road at the weekend in western Kanchanaburi province, about a two-hour drive from the capital Bangkok, the department said in a statement.

Local media said the boy was on his way home from playing with other children when the big cat pounced on him.

Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, where the captive population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes.