A French animal protection agency is caring for a lion cub that was found by police in a Lamborghini on Paris’s Champs-Elysees boulevard.

The agency, 30 Million Friends, has said the cub is the third it has recovered in a month and the sixth in under a year.

Paris – City Views
The car containing the lion cub was on the Champs Elysees (John Walton/PA)

It tweeted in French with images of the cub, saying that “particular” kinds of people wanted to resell “these babies” for profit, using an angry emoji.

It is calling for beefed-up measures against the trafficking of wild animals in France.

The cub, named Putin but known as Dadou, is less than two months old.

The lion cub is the sixth rescued by the organisation in a year (30 Millions d’Amis/AP)

The agency said it has filed a legal complaint against the driver of the rented Lamborghini, who was taken into custody.

It said the cub has a few health problems but is basically fine.