Cambodian PM orders return of defanged pet lion to owner

Animal was seized after appearing on TikTok before prime minister Hun Sen stepped in

A defanged and declawed lion that was kept in an upmarket neighbourhood of the Cambodian capital has been returned to its owner after the unlikely intervention of prime minister Hun Sen.

The 18-month-old cub, weighing 70 kilograms (154 pounds), had been imported from overseas, officials said. It was raised by its owner, a Chinese national, who named it Hima.