Chiang Mai, Thailand ¨C Behind a car repair business on a nondescript Thai street are the cherished pets of a rising TikTok animal influencer: two lions and a 200-kilogram lion-tiger hybrid called ¡°Big George.¡±
Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, and Tharnuwarht Plengkemratch is an enthusiastic advocate, posting updates on his feline companions to nearly 3 million followers.
¡°They¡¯re playful and affectionate, just like dogs or cats,¡± he said from inside their cage complex at his home in the northern city of Chiang Mai.
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