A man from Saudi Arabia faces 10 years in prison and a fine of 30 million Saudi riyals ($8 million) for illegally keeping three lions at his private resort in Riyadh.
A team from the National Center for Wildlife, in cooperation with the environmental security special forces, launched an investigation into a report that three lions were being kept at a rest house in the Saudi capital, which is considered a violation of the country's environmental protection system.
The team managed to control the big cats, anesthetize them, and transfer them to one of the center's animal care departments.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia has begun introducing strict executive regulations to control hunting in the Kingdom in order to preserve the country's wildlife.
He said that illegal hunters will be severely punished for any unauthorized activity.
The ministry has established penalties for unauthorized actions, including imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of no more than 30 million Saudi riyals for certain violations if they are committed twice or more within one year.