Kenya: Armed Wildlife Officers Called In After "Stray Lion" Spotted Hiding In A Hedge

Three armed wildlife officers in Kenya were called out to reports of a stray lion on the loose - but soon it was discovered that it was actually a shopping bag in a hedge. 

According to BBC, a worker on a farm in Kinyana village, located just a kilometre from the Mt Kenya National park, raised the alarm after spotting what he thought was a lion just outside his employer's home. However, when three armed wildlife officers arrived on the scene they soon realised that rather than a deadly predator they were actually dealing with a bag full of Avacado seedlings. 

In an interesting turn of events, we received numerous reports from locals at Kiangua location, Meru County of a lion hiding in a hedge

KWS Meru team swiftly rushed to scene in a bid to mitigate a possible Human Wildlife Conflict case. pic.twitter.com/K0up1GH6d6

— Kenya Wildlife Service (@kwskenya) May 5, 2022

BBC reported that the bag had been placed in the hedge by the homeowner in a bid to stop the seedlings from drying out. The owner of the house was out when the wildlife officers were called, meaning there was no one on hand to tell about the mix-up. 

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Once the owner arrived back, she was told about the lion and was advised to enter her house through the door on the opposite side of the building from the hedge. She didn't immediately connect the report with the bag containing her seedlings. The bag was only discovered due to the fact that it was placed directly below a window, and upon opening the window, the officers realised that the lion didn't have a body. 

Speaking to BBC, Loyal chief Cyrus Mbijiwe said that although there had not been any recent reports of stary lions in the area, residents had complained that some of their livestock had gone missing. Therefore, the officers treated the incident with a lot of caution and seriousness. 

“We first ensured everyone was safe then wildlife officials investigated and discovered that it was a bag," the chief said.

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Meanwhile, despite the false alarm, the Kenya Wildlife Service said that it lauded the public for raising an alarm in order to mitigate a possible conflict.