Master developer Nakheel has just announced another monster development offshore. Called The Universe it will be a cluster of islands designed on the shape of coral and will stretch from Palm Jumeirah to Port Rashid, running between The World and the mainland. When finished in 15 to 20 years it will be 3,000 hectares (about 6,500 acres) of land. Major residential, commercial and tourism projects are eventually planned for the development.

Gulf News has posted this article today on lion cubs being kept as pets in a one-bedroom apartment.

Five lion cubs and a cheetah are being kept in a family flat in the northern emirates until they get moved to a farm.

According to the owner, the animals have been brought in from Africa and Oman and will only spend two weeks in the residential one bedroom home until they are relocated to a bigger space on a private farm.

The flat houses at least five lions two males and three lionesses, one cheetah; a number of turtles and according to neighbours a hyena has also been spotted. The animals have keepers with them 24 hours a day.

The lions are all together in one room. Two lions are usually kept inside individual cages and two other lionesses are attached to the outside of the cage, while the youngest is left to walk freely around the flat. A cheetah was seen by Gulf News in a separate cage in the same room.

The lions eat a lot and get very hungry. The owner said he feeds them one sheep everyday.

The question is: Why isnt the authorities doing anything about it? How can wild cats be allowed as a pet??

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