Police search for mysterious feline on the loose in Normandy countryside
French police have received more reports of a large feline on the loose in the French countryside, this time in Normandy.
Published: 31 July 2017 14:43 CEST
File photo of a Lynx not related to the story. Photo: Pixabay
Around 30 police and firefighters were mobilised on Friday in search of what could be a lynx or a lion on the loose in the northern French region of Normandy, an area very popular with British tourists.
After reports of sightings of a big cat in the area wandering the department of La Manche in the north western region of Normandy, emergency services jumped into action.
“We had witness reports from a motorist and a police officer on Friday afternoon which said that they had seen what they believed to be a big cat in the La Colombe area,” Michel Marquer from the local police said.
The motorist spotted the animal on the A84 road (see below).
On top of the police officers and firefighters, a vet and a helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera were used in the hours-long search for the “big cat”.
Authorities advised anyone who sees the animal “not to approach it and to let the police know immediately.”
Photo: Google maps
“We haven't set up another search because we are faced with the possibility of a very mobile and timid animal,” the local police said, adding that a new search will be launched if they receive more witness reports.
“It could be a lion or a lynx. Specialists say that a lion eats four kilos of meat every day and if it is indeed a lion we would have found sheep or dog carcasses,” the police added.
This is the second report in as many weeks of a big cat wandering the French countryside with police on 20 July searching for a lioness which was reportedly on the loose in north west France.
Lion cub found inside luxury car on Champs-Elysées
A lion cub was found in a flashy car on the Champs-Elysees in Paris Monday evening, a police source said, the latest incidence of the fluffy-but-fierce animal apparently being kept as a pet.
Published: 13 November 2018 09:00 CET
Photo: 30 Millions d'Amis
The baby lion was discovered inside a hired Lamborghini during a police search on the busy luxury shopping street, according to the source, confirming earlier media reports.
The driver was taken into custody and the cub was being looked after, they said.
Hier soir la Fondation #30millionsdamis s’est occupée d’un lionceau saisi par la Police sur les Champs-Élysées. Le petit fauve était à bord d’une voiture de sport de luxe de location. Interpelé, l’individu qui se trouvait au volant du bolide a été arrêté et placé en garde à vue. pic.twitter.com/QCmkcrQwPj
During that trial, the prosecutor said the discovery was not an isolated case and investigations were already underway into three other baby lions kept on the outskirts of the capital.