Lahore, Jul 28 (IANS): In Pakistan, the king of the jungle can be bought for cheaper than a buffalo, media reports said.

The administration at the Lahore Safari Zoo, however, is willing to sell some of its African lions, who have been bred in captivity, at a meagre price of (Pakistani) Rs 150,000 per cat, Samaa TV reported.

Compared to this, a buffalo is available on the online marketplace for a hefty sum of Rs 350,000 to Rs 1 million, it added.

The Lahore Safari Zoo management hopes to sell as many as 12 of its lions in the first week of August to raise money.

Among the big cats up for sale, are three lionesses, who can be sold off to private housing schemes or animal husbandry enthusiasts at a premium.

The zoo administration decided to sell their animals in bid to meet rising costs of maintaining animals at the zoo and other expenses, Samaa TV reported.

Lahore's safari zoo, unlike other zoos around the country, is a mammoth facility. Sprawling over 142 acres, it houses a host of wild animals. Its pride, though, is its breed of 40 lions.

Not only is managing them difficult, but also quite expensive.

Therefore, the zoo administration said that they regularly sell off a few lions and use the proceeds to augment expenses, Samaa TV reported.

Last year, 14 lions were sold off to citizens on the pretext of limited space in the safari zoo.