Smuggled lion cub discovered among thousands of parrots [Representational Image]

A 30-year-old man has been arrested after a lion cub was discovered in his apartment in Paris.

According to French media, police were alerted after the suspect tried to sell the six-week-old female for $11,470, BBC reported.

The man was discovered hiding in a cupboard at a neighbour's home on Tuesday, while the cub was found on a child's bed. According to Le Parisien, the suspect has previous convictions for theft.

The animal is said to be in good health and has been handed to wildlife authorities.

This is not the first time that police have found big cats being kept illegally. In 2017, police had found an emaciated lion cub in an empty flat in Paris, kept by a man who took selfies with it.

The story reached a happy ending in August after the cub was rehabilitated in an animal reserve in South Africa.