Cape Town - Three armed Kenyan wildlife officers must have been on high alert as they cautiously approached a homestead following reports that a stray lion had been sighted in the area, BBC Africa reported on Thursday.
According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, in an interesting turn of events, they 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.
On arrival, KWS rangers were astonished to find that the “alleged lion” was a carrier bag bearing a depiction of a lion.
“Despite this being a false alarm, we laud the public for raising an alarm in order to mitigate a possible conflict,” said the service.
A farmhand in Kinyana village, 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, said BBC Africa.
The bag had been placed in the hedge by the home owner, who had put some avocado tree seedlings in it to prevent them from drying out.
“We also urge the residents of Meru to Zuru Meru National Park to enjoy the magnificent wildlife the park has to offer such as lions, the endangered Grevy’s zebra and many more,” the Kenya Wildlife Service said.
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