A lion has reportedly been seen roaming in the mountains of a popular British holiday destination in central Spain. A delivery driver claimed he saw the animal walking through Sierra de San Vicente on Wednesday at around 10:40 am, prompting a large-scale search by the Civil Guard.
Driver's Report and Initial Response
The driver immediately contacted the 112 emergency services after spotting the beast on the TO-1375 road near the historic Piélago convent. Residents in the local regions have been warned about the animal and urged to stay off secondary roads while authorities carry out the investigation.
El Real de San Vicente Town Hall posted to Facebook and warned the locals of a report “of a possible lion sighting near the convent in the mountains.” The post said: “There is no further information at this time; please exercise extreme caution.”
Zoo and Wildlife Reserve Checks
With an aim to track down the animal, emergency services immediately contacted the closest zoo, located about 15 km away. A spokesperson for Zoo Safari Fauna Aventura de Hinojosa de San Vicente said: “No animals are missing from our facilities.”
Checks of other zoos and wildlife reserves in the wider region, including nearby Madrid, also failed to uncover any missing lion.
Search Called Off
Despite two days of searching, officials have found no footprints or fresh sightings to support reports of the animal's presence. Investigators also looked into whether the delivery driver may have mistaken a large dog for a lion. Authorities contacted owners of larger breeds, including Tibetan mastiffs and German shepherds, but have so far been unable to identify the animal the driver initially reported seeing.
The search was eventually called off after authorities found "no evidence of a lion in the area," according to sources at the Government Delegation. The delegation added that no further sightings had been reported by members of the public since Wednesday morning. The Civil Guard had been in contact with the affected town councils, as well as livestock farmers and local residents, but these efforts "yielded no results."
