'Lion' sightings turn out to be shaggy dog story
Published Date:
04 September 2008
REPORTS of a lion roaming free in north Belfast at the weekend turned out to be a shaggy dog story.
Police received a number of calls on Sunday from local people, who were convinced they had spotted a “big cat” in the Upper Hightown and Cavehill Park areas.
A PSNI helicopter was used to search the area as Belfast Zoo implemented its action plan for escaped animals.
However, the sandy-coloured beast turned out to be nothing more threatening than a large stray dog.
The zoo vet, three curators and four keepers had secured the Bellevue site within 45 minutes of the first report being received.
Said zoo spokesperson, Joy Bond: “The safety team from the zoo reacted very quickly to the public reports. The team first accounted for the big cats in the collection.
“Once their safety had been verified, the entire animal stock was checked and accounted for within 45 minutes of receiving the first report of a potential sighting.”
The full article contains 171 words and appears in Newtownabbey Times newspaper.
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Last Updated:
02 September 2008 3:51 PM
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Source:
Newtownabbey Times
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Location:
Glengormley, NEWTOWN ABBEY
