'Lion' in Irish woodland triggered panic. The police jumped in, and found a 'mouse'

A lion-like animal seen in the Irish woodlands turned out to be a dog with a weird haircut. A truck driver saw the creature at Mount Shannon, Co. Clare, and raised an alarm. He thought it was an African lion. Several others also reported the sightings of the animal and were shocked by it. Videos show the animal roaming in the woods that looks just like a lion from afar. Some people who only saw the video speculated that it was fake and AI-generated. Cork Beo reported that the forest manager, John O'Reilly, who saw the video shot by the truck driver, insisted that whatever it was, it was certainly real. "The animal had been seen before by harvesters working on the site, but it was from a distance, moving through the trees. We assumed it was a deer before the video was captured," John explained.

He said that he isn't confirming that it is a lion, "but it does look to have a mane and a long tail." The sighting forced the police into action since now it had become a huge matter, considering it was a "lion" they were talking about. John said that some people think that it is merely a dog that was shaved weirdly. Turns out, these people were right. Gardai from Killaloe have confirmed that it was a particular Newfoundland breed, and the name of the dog was Mouse. Notably, members of Ireland's national police and security service are known as Gardai.

They said that the dog was "delighted" that he had become so popular. Mouse appeared like a lion because its fur was shaved in a manner that only left a lengthy tuft on the tip of the tail. There was also a mane around his head and neck. The police also posted about Mouse on social media. "Gardaí from Killaloe have concluded that the recent video of a lion-like animal roaming around the woods in East Clare is in fact the very friendly Mouse, a Newfoundland dog who is delighted with his recent viral video clip," they wrote.