A white lion cub sparked panic in a neighbourhood after escaping from its owner's home in Thailand.

The baby big car roamed around the Nongprue district of Chonburi province on March 1, frightening residents as it prowled near their homes.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Chumpon Saenwichai, deputy superintendent of the Nongprue police, along with wildlife officers searched the home of a Chinese national said to own the little predator.

They went to the Central Park Hill villa to talk to the suspected owner named Chen Tai, 39, from China.

They found the female lion cub kept behind a fence at the two-storey luxury home.

Chen allegedly told the officers he had bought the wild cat for 500,000 baht (14,396 USD) from the farm of a Thai national Yothin Narkkorn in Chachoengsao province.

He showed cops the purchase documents but admitted he did not have a permit to take care of the lion, also known as Panthera leo, which is among 67 protected species of wildlife in Thailand.

Pairoj Promwat, the veterinarian from the government's Protected Area Regional Office 2, said it was not illegal to own the animal, provided the required permit is obtained.

He advised Chen to register the cub with the wildlife conservation office and urged the Chinese national to keep it inside his house to avoid scaring the neighbours.

Pairoj said permits for protected animals bought before October 19, 2022 - before the protection law took effect - can be obtained until March 16.