PHOTO: AFP
Kabul has been transformed by war in a way that only a massive foreign invasion can. It has transformed from an ancient and dusty enclave to a modern, into the bustling and polluted mayhem it is today.
But at the top of the ladder in Kabul society, those enterpreneurs that have made good on the little progress the country has seen, are a gaggle of wealthy Afghanis who delight themselves in the crass pursuit of excess.
Enter the new Kabul man, dressed in European signature clothing, occupying marble mini-palaces, and buying blackened out SUVs. But more disturbingly, they have also adopted a new trend: the acquisition and rearing inside the household of pet lion cubs.
One of them, M. Shafiq, is very proud of his pet. He says the pet spends his days circling the roof terrace in the centre of Kabul. He says he is employing a full time butcher at the cost of 1,000 dollar a month, a fortune by Afghanistan's standards, and a full time vet for his care.
The palaces, like the one Shafiq is occupying are popping up all over Kabul. They are called 'the poppy palaces'. Although not all wealth comes from the drug trade, the incomes are increasingly spent in a fancy way.
Shafiq spent almost 20,000 dollar to buy the lion cub. The two month old cub had to be driven by car for almost 500 kilometers.
Shafiq believes that the cub has been smuggled from Iran, but does not care about criticisms on his ownership of the rare beast.
When members of the foreign press approached the lion cub however, the small creature was frightened and growling. Eventually Shafiq plans to construct a large pen in the countryside where he will hold him.
The lion cub, however, will forever be a threat, since it was snatched from the wild. And it will probably be killed. These large and powerful animals should never be taken from their natural habitat, especially by amateurs who know nothing of their behavior and needs.
Source : France 24/ 6.8.13
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