Police search for ‘stray lioness’ after viral video
ras al khaimah — The Ras Al Khaimah Police conducted a three-and-a-half-hour search after a video of a lioness roaming on the road went viral on social media on Monday evening.
The unidentified person who recorded and shared the video, warned the public about the stray animal and advised them to watch over their kids and prevent them from going outdoors.
The central operations room of the RAK Police dispatched three emergency teams to search the entire ‘Seeh Al Zahra’ neighbourhood of the ‘Barirat’ area where the lioness was reportedly seen. The search teams also covered the nearby places, including Shamal, Al Hudaiba, and the road to Jebel Jais.
The search operation was done in collaboration with the animal shelter centre in Ras Al Khaimah. However, the search operation came to a stop when some of the residents said that the lioness, owned by a dignitary here, was already kept back in its cage .
Some sources said that the owner of the big cat found and caged it, while he claimed that the video was old. He also denied the predator’s escape. “The lioness has not escaped at all. It is kept in a safe place as far as I know,” he said.
Police sources said that the search operations were held on Monday from 4pm to 7.30pm, but nothing was found.
The RAK Police urged the public to be sure about what they share on social media so as not to scare or panic people with no reason. ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com