Controversy after Olympian films video with lion cub in Tbilisi

Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Lasha Bekauri shared a video on 25 December showing a man in a Porsche, presumably himself, playing with a lion cub in the passenger seat while driving down Chavchavadze Avenue in Tbilisi.

Bekauri posted the video on his official Instagram account, accompanied by a  caption reading ‘bubu’ and the hashtag Georgia.

The short video was also accompanied by an edited version of Beyonce’s 2008 song ‘Diva’, featuring the lyrics ‘a diva is a female version of a hustler’.

The video raised controversy in Georgia, with social media users questioning if Bekauri possessed a permit to possess the animal or whether this was a case of smuggling.

According to the director of the Tbilisi Zoo, Zurab Gurielidze, ‘the lion cub could only have entered Georgia through smuggling’.

Speaking to Netgazeti on Wednesday, Gurielidze emphasised that ‘such a dangerous animal can only be kept in captivity if it has a specific purpose, whether it’s for conservation, for scientific purposes, which is what a zoo serves’.

He warned against keeping wild animals at home, noting that such cases often end tragically for both the animal and the person.

The following day, on 26 December, Bekauri shared a photo with Gurielidze on Facebook, which implied he had brought the lion cub to the Tbilisi Zoo.

Gurielidze appeared to have accepted the animal, despite previously expressing doubts about whether the Tbilisi Zoo was adequately equipped to accommodate it.

Also on Thursday, the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources told Publika that the ministry was ‘interested in and studying the issue’. They added that additional clarifications would be provided later.

According to Article 302 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, the illegal export or import of an animal listed in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) by an organised group is punishable by between two to four years in prison.

Under Article 66 of the Georgian Code of Administrative Offences, a violation of the conditions of the permit for the export or import of an animal included in the appendices of the will result in a fine of ₾2,000 ($700) and confiscation of the animal in question.

The scandal unfolded amidst ongoing anti-government protests across Georgia, sparked by the Georgian government’s announcement to ‘halt’ the country’s EU membership bid. It also intensified scrutiny over what critics describe as the ruling party’s strategy of involving popular and successful Georgian sports figures in politics — ranging from frequent photo opportunities to placing them on electoral lists.

Bekauri has been an outspoken supporter of Georgian Dream, and the latest scandal has been seen by some critics as emblematic of a broader erosion of the rule of law and the selective enforcement of legal standards to shield those aligned with the ruling party.

Bekauri, 24, is a Georgian judoka champion. He won the gold medal in the men's 90 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and again the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.