In Pakistan, a woman and two children are attacked by a lion that escapes from their home (VIDEO)

On Friday, Pakistani police reported that an escaped lion kept at home chased a woman and two children on a busy street in Lahore. Police released a dramatic video showing how the big cat jumped over a wall and attacked them.

The CCTV footage released by police shows the lion leaping over the fence surrounding the house and chasing a woman carrying shopping on Thursday evening. The video shows the lion leaping on her back and knocking her to the ground.

The police report quotes a father as saying that the lion then attacked his five- and seven-year-old children, scratching their arms and faces. All three were taken to hospital but their condition was not serious. The father added that the owners, who had run out of the house, were having fun watching their lion attack passers-by.

Police said they arrested three men on Friday.

„The suspects fled the scene, taking the lion with them. They were arrested 12 hours after the incident“, – the office of the Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Operations said.

Police seized the lion, an 11-month-old male, and handed over the beast to the wildlife park. Park officials said the animal appeared to be in good health.

In Punjab, the country's most populous province, exotic animals, especially big cats, are kept indoors to emphasise their privileged power status.

In December last year, an adult lion that escaped from an enclosure in another district of Lahore terrorised residents until it was shot dead by a security guard.

As a result of this incident, the provincial government has introduced new laws governing the sale, purchase, breeding and keeping of big cats. The law now requires owners to obtain licences for animals that are not allowed in residential areas. Breeders must pay a hefty registration fee and farms must be at least 10 acres in size.