It all started with a series of phone calls made to the Coutances gendarmerie in La Manche. The story dates from September and has just been revealed by the newspaper 20 Minutes. One quiet afternoon, the gendarmes were alerted by motorists from the
presence of a wild animal on the edge of a departmental road near the town of Lessay. According to testimonies, the animal could be a wild animal.
Some drivers speak of a leopard which would be lying quietlywatching the cars go by. As reports grew in number, a patrol was quickly dispatched to the scene. Two police officers are then sent to the place where the ferocious animal is supposed to be found.
Fake scare in the Channel
Arriving on the scene, the police will quickly locate the feline. Placed at a good distance, they will actually notice the presence of an imposing animal,
“calmly lying on the side of the road“specify our colleagues from
20 Minutes. The military easily identified the beast as a leopard.
Not having any knowledge of felines, they will decide to grope their way until they make a surprising discovery. While the police arrive a few meters from the animal, it remains unmoved. And for good reason: it was abouta huge stuffed toyworthy of those that take pride of place in fairgrounds. Ultimately, more fear than harm for the police and motorists!
These felines who caused trouble…
If the deception worked, the story says no more about the prankster(s) who placed the stuffed animal on the side of the road. Reports of felines are not anecdotal in France. In 2021, a puma had been seen
several times in Pas-de-Calais between Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise and Arras, without ever being formally identified.
Two years earlier, a black panther hit the headlines after being reported in Armentières in the North. The animal had been
filmed wandering on the roofs of houses. Captured by the police and placed at the Maubeuge zoo, the panther was stolen a few days later before being found in a shelter in the Netherlands.
France
