Story By: Sergiu Nazaru, Sub Editor:  Joseph Golder,  Agency: Newsflash

A Romanian folk singer has been slammed for releasing a music video with what appears to be an injured lion that has notched up 4.3 million views online.

Manele musician Dani Mocanu, 28, is facing an investigation by police in the city of Pitesti in Arges County in Romania for animal cruelty after the video was released.

The type of music is classified as traditional Romanian folk music with the vast majority of the performers of Roma ethnicity, with criticisms that it is often crude and in poor taste, involving scantily clad women and in this case a live lion.

After the animal cruelty report was filed, Mocanu was ordered to appear in court in Arges yesterday (Sunday), but, refused to answer any questions about where the lion is or where he had obtained it.

However, he did afterwards take to social media to say that the lion was well treated throughout the filming, and added: “The lion had some professional makeup to make it look as fierce as possible.”

Local media reported it’s not the first time the singer has clashed with police, and said he has a criminal record for pimping and human trafficking.

The lion’s injuries included what appeared to be a head wound and also a wound on its leg and its back.

Commentators alleged the lion was so ill that it was struggling to stand and demanded it be rescued as it was clearly being abused.

Police said they are trying to track down the owner of the lion and also identify the people who were involved in the making of the video including the dancers.

The police said: “The checks carried out by officers so far are aimed at establishing all the circumstances in which the events took place, namely the identification and hearing of all persons involved, as well as the verification of the provision of medical care, care and shelter for the animal in the video.”

Romanian minister Antonel Tanase said that he found the video “revolting” and added: “I find it hard to understand how a public figure can, in 2020, film themselves with a wild animal, indifferent to the animal’s injuries and clear discomfort.”

He said it appeared that the lion had been sedated, forced to sit still like a cat, and added wild animals like the lion do not belong in a house and certainly not in a music video.

As a promoter of animal rights, Tanase said: “I cannot stand by passively at the terrible images I saw today.”

He said that he had also discussed it with the interior minister and prosecutors were being urged to prioritise the case.

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