Reports: Essex 'lion' is a domestic cat
A £25,000 operation involving more than 30 officers was most likely caused by 12-year-old ginger tomcat, Tom, the Daily Mirror has reported. Police called off a huge lion-hunt yesterday after deciding the alert was sparked by a large domestic cat.
A carer from the local old people's home that the cat is reportedly from said:
He’s always out in the fields hunting for mice, rats and even hares. I was working here on Sunday and he was definitely out then, so it certainly could have been him.
Hunt for 'lion' in Essex called off by police
A search for a lion in Essex has been called off, with police believing the rogue animal was most likely to be a "large domestic cat".
Armed police respond to 'lion' sighting in Essex village
Police are responding to reports that a lion was seen in a field near the Essex village of St Osyth. Firearms officers have been deployed.