Indian forest officials have arrested seven men for conducting illegal lion shows where a three-year-old lioness was trained to take treats like a dog.

One of accused had allegedly spotted the lioness in his farm in Gir-Gadhada, Gujarat when she was a cub and had managed to train her.

A video of the illegal lion performance shows him entertaining a guest by dangling a chicken before the lioness. He taunts the animal by holding back the bird as she salivates.

A woman in the background warns them not to tease the animal saying she may attack. But the man says he is not afraid.

Finally, he throws the chicken and the lioness grabs it.

Chief conservator of forests and wildlife, D T Vasavada, said: “The lion is not attacking them as she is perhaps used to getting food like this.

"It also shows that such activity is routine for them."

The video was found on the mobile phones of the men, who were arrested on May 19. It became public on June 6.

Lion expert Mayank Bhatt said: “Conducting illegal lion shows to entertain tourists is a thriving business in the area. Touts offer close encounters with lions and the tourists fall for that unmindful of the risk.”

Gir forest area in Gujarat is the only remaining home of the Asiatic lions, whose numbers stand at just 650 wild individuals according to a 2015 census.