Fear had gripped Kiangua Location in Meru County when a ‘lion’ was spotted in a hedge.
Residents swiftly reported the incident to Kenya Wildlife Service.
“In an interesting turn of events, we received numerous reports from locals at Kiangua location, Meru County of a lion hiding in a hedge,” the statement read in part.
KWS Meru team swiftly rushed to scene in a bid to mitigate a possible Human Wildlife Conflict case.
But turned out to be a carrier bag with the head of a lion printed on it.
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
“On arrival, KWS rangers were astonished to find out that the ‘alleged lion’ was a lion printed carrier bag,” read the statement.
It went on: “Despite this being a false alarm, we laud the public for raising an alarm in order to mitigate a possible conflict.”
“We also urge the residents of Meru to Zuru Meru National Park and enjoy the magnificent wildlife the park has to offer such as Lions, the endangered Grevy’s Zebra and many more,” read the statement.
Trolling
But in another turn of event, KWS has taken to social media to troll the Meru residents.
In a post on social media, the entity asks the residents to take advantage of the national parks within their proximities if they want to see real lions.
“Watu wa Meru badala kuona simba kwa carrier bag, why not Zuru Meru National Park for the real simba?” read the post.
It went on: “Designated as a stronghold for lion conservation, KWS Meru National Park has an abundance of lions living within the park, as well as a whole host of other wildlife.”