Not much ties together these two stories, other than they appeared next to each other on the front page of The National today and seem to recurring themes, here in the UAE.

A kid winning one million dirhams in a drawing in Dubai … and a lion being taken from a home in Sharjah.

First, the lucky kid.

Dubai Mall, which claims to be the world’s biggest, by area, puts on drawings for Dh1 million — or $272,000.

People can enter the drawing if they spend at least Dh300 (about $81) at any one store in the mall. Draws are fairly popular ways to drive business here. Telcoms, malls, auto dealerships …

So.

When they pulled out a name for the winner of this Dubai Mall prize, it was a 7-year-old kid from Syria, identified by his first name and two initials: Saif A.H. Which is a fun story. A kid with all that money.

At the news meeting, at The National, the question immediately asked was, “And do we have a photo of the kid holding a giant check?”

Why, yes. Yes, we do. And here it is. It’s the best part of the story.

The kid seems to grasp that he (well, his parents) have just come into a lot of money. And good for him.

And the other story … the confiscation of a lion at a private home, in Sharjah.

This happens regularly, in the UAE. Wild animals picked up, discovered, turned in.

After five-plus years here, it has become fairly clear that the second great status symbol here (after the exotic sports car) … is a wild animal in your backyard. Preferably a big, lethal one.

(Another memorable wild animal-smuggling story, from 2012, when a guy was caught at the airport trying to bring in a loris in his trousers, a big-eyed animal related to the galego, or bush baby.)

The story notes that four wolves were taken from a Sharjah home in January, and the female lion taken away the other day “joins a list of wild animals including leopards, baboons, hyenas, crocodiles and lynx” found in Sharjah.

And, remember that Sharjah is only the third-biggest Emirate. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are significantly bigger, by population.

Wild animals seem to be discovered in one of two ways: 1) The owner realizes he can’t handle the wild animal or 2) neighbors complain. (No kitty cat sounds quite like a roaring lion.)

Since December, Sharjah has a law calling for a Dh100,000 ($27,200) fine for anyone found in possession of a banned animal. Presumably, the idea of the law is to act as a deterrent; it is not clear if the fine is waived if some silly person realizes he isn’t really in position to care for that big cat and calls animal control.