Big Cats: Balkan Underworld's New Status Symbols

Exotic pets like lions are becoming symbols of wealth, masculinity, and lawlessness, especially in the criminal underworld, where big cats are the latest status symbol. This trend fuels the $23 billion illegal wildlife trade, the fourth largest illegal activity globally, causing severe harm to species and biodiversity.

In Albania, where owning big cats is illegal outside approved zoos, enforcement is weak. Cubs are sold on social media for thousands of dollars, often suffering from neglect due to inbreeding and poor conditions. Trafficking routes span Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania, and the issue is spreading across the Balkans, with lion cubs found on the streets and sold in pet shops.

In Kosovo, environmentalists fear the trend will spread from Albania, citing minimal penalties for wildlife trafficking offences. Pet shops have already started to offer lion cubs for sale, and a politician is seen petting one on social media. In Serbia, zookeepers struggle with the lack of space to house smuggled animals, confiscated on the border with Kosovo and the EU.

Environmentalists fear the trend will worsen as penalties remain minimal and enforcement struggles to keep up.

Photo by Nathalie Bertrams