LION’S CAFE HELL
Outrage as cruel Turkish cafe keeps a lion in a tiny glass box for its customers’ amusement
Heartbreaking scenes in Istanbul show the wild animal prowling in a narrow glass box while people eat and drink
THESE images lay bare the horrific conditions an adult lion has been kept in - all because a restaurant owner wanted to amuse his customers.
The beast can be seen pacing up and down in a narrow glass box at the animal themed Mevzoo cafe in Istanbul’s Beykoz district.
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Called Khaleesi, the one-year-old big cat is seen in one clip chasing a little girl as people in the restaurant gaze on.
The box can be no more than a metre wide and the wild animal finds it difficult to turn round.
Turkish media has reported the cafe also features parrots and other rare birds as well as caged crocodiles and horses.
But the owner, Cengiz Şıklaroğlu, recently told Turkish newspaper he has all the documentation required by law.
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And Mr Şıklaroğlu insists he makes sure his animals are kept well.
This involves investing large sums of cash for their food and their medicine, he told the newspaper.
But the video of Khaleesi the lion has caused world-wide revulsion.
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Oytun Okan Senel, president of the Turkish Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons, condemned it, tweeting: “In the middle of Istanbul, the humiliation! Animal abuse in the 'rehabilitation centre' decorated hookah café.”
One Facebook user Harika Timur wrote: “Is this a joke? What is called humanity is maybe not a good word as we think.”
More than 3000 have signed the , calling on the restaurateur to set free the animal.
Meanwhile it is reported that he has to dismantle the glass cage within three months but that he can keep all his animals.
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