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01/09/2008
Cats Out Of The Bag: It's A Dog!
The target of a major search for a large 'cat' launched in Newtownabbey last night - after several members of the public reported seeing a 'lion' on the loose - has turned out to have been a large canine instead.
Police officers and a PSNI helicopter were tasked to search for the animal in the Cavehill Park area of north Belfast on the Newtownabbey boundary last night.
As news of the lion began to circulate, staff from the nearby Belfast Zoo carried out a check of all their big cats, including lions and tigers, and concluded all their animals were "accounted for".
But, as light faded and no sightings of the large sandy-coloured animal were reported, the search was called off, only to resume this morning, quickly concluding the dangerous beast was in fact a large stray dog.
The search started yesterday evening after several calls were made to the PSNI from concerned people claiming they had seen a lion in the Upper Hightown end of Cavehill Park.
A police spokesman had initially confirmed a search was launched after a number of witnesses described the animal "as a sandy-coloured lion or large non-domestic cat.
"Police are working to locate and establish the exact nature of the animal as well as establish where any such animal may have come from."
He also warned: "Anyone who thinks they may have seen the animal should not attempt to approach it."
The general public were warned that "anyone who spots a large cat in the Cavehill area should contacted police immediately" and to stay away from it.
(BMcC)
Police officers and a PSNI helicopter were tasked to search for the animal in the Cavehill Park area of north Belfast on the Newtownabbey boundary last night.
As news of the lion began to circulate, staff from the nearby Belfast Zoo carried out a check of all their big cats, including lions and tigers, and concluded all their animals were "accounted for".
But, as light faded and no sightings of the large sandy-coloured animal were reported, the search was called off, only to resume this morning, quickly concluding the dangerous beast was in fact a large stray dog.
The search started yesterday evening after several calls were made to the PSNI from concerned people claiming they had seen a lion in the Upper Hightown end of Cavehill Park.
A police spokesman had initially confirmed a search was launched after a number of witnesses described the animal "as a sandy-coloured lion or large non-domestic cat.
"Police are working to locate and establish the exact nature of the animal as well as establish where any such animal may have come from."
He also warned: "Anyone who thinks they may have seen the animal should not attempt to approach it."
The general public were warned that "anyone who spots a large cat in the Cavehill area should contacted police immediately" and to stay away from it.
(BMcC)
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