So the Irish lion was not a lion after all. What a surprise!

Thursday 6th November 2025

So the Irish lion was not a lion after all. What a surprise!

Police Discover Mysterious Lion-Like Animal in the Woods Is Actually a Dog

The question remains, why and how did this poor unfortunate Newfoundland dog get shaved to look like a lion. Was it a deliberate attempt to deceive the general public? Was it a Halloween hoax? Or was there some more ethical reason? Although I never thought that it was a lion in the first place, this story has got its interesting aspects. Watch this space.

A short video posted to social media appeared to show a golden, shaggy creature prowling through the trees, sparking wild speculation that a big cat …
Jonathan Downes
Cryptozoologist, naturalist, musician, singer, composer, poet, novelist and Director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology since 1992. Jon was born in Portsmouth in 1959 and spent his infancy in Nigeria and his childhood in Hong Kong. His wife Corinna died of cancer in 2020, leaving him with two stepdaughters and an eleven year old granddaughter called Evelyn.