The Ministry of Agriculture initiated urgent action as soon as information became available about the presence of a lion detained inside one of the facilities in the Labweh area - Baalbek, and took the necessary legal and technical measures to protect the animal, in preparation for its confiscation and transfer to a safe and appropriate place that meets the conditions of care, safety, and animal welfare. In this context, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Nizar Hani, sent a letter to the Public Prosecutor of Appeal in the Bekaa, Judge Marcel Haddad, requesting that a judicial guard be appointed over Al-Assad on a temporary basis, until the legal procedures are completed and a qualified center is secured to receive him. The Al-Labwa police station was informed of the contents of the book, and the Public Appeal Attorney in Baalbek, Judge Rita Harro, was contacted, who gave her indication to appoint the owner of the facility as a temporary judicial guard over Al-Assad, until the confiscation and transfer procedures were completed. The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the rapid and responsible response, and full coordination between the Ministry, the competent judiciary, and the internal security forces, formed the basis for taking immediate measures aimed at protecting the animal, ensuring its safety and well-being, and preventing any action against it, pending the completion of the necessary procedures. The Ministry explained that the confiscation process will be carried out as soon as a suitable shelter is secured, in coordination with the associations and competent authorities, provided that the lion is transferred in accordance with the approved technical and legal procedures, in preparation for taking the necessary steps to return it to its original home, taking into account its safety requirements and relevant international standards. Until the transfer is completed, the lion will be subject to periodic follow-up and supervision by the Livestock Department of the Baalbek-Hermel Agriculture Department, in coordination with the Office of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry stressed that it will continue to follow up on the file until all its legal and technical stages are completed, affirming its commitment to protecting wildlife, implementing relevant international laws and agreements, and dealing firmly with any case of detention or illegal trade in wild animals.