Guardia Civil launches lion hunt in Spain after mystery big cat spotted in Toledo mountains

Residents in a quiet corner of central Spain have been given something rather more unnerving to talk about than the weather after a reported lion sighting sent the Guardia Civil into action. A major search operation has been launched in the Sierra de San Vicente in Toledo after a delivery driver contacted emergency services to report seeing what appeared to be a lion beside a mountain road.

Helicopters, drones and Guardia Civil patrols have since been sent into the area in an attempt to find the mystery animal, although there is still no confirmation that a lion is actually roaming through the countryside.

Report of lion sparks emergency search

According to sources from the Guardia Civil, the alarm was raised on Wednesday, August 19 after a member of the public called the 112 emergency service, claiming to have spotted a lion close to the Convento del Piélago.

The reported sighting took place on the TO-1375 road, around kilometre 9, which connects El Real de San Vicente with Navamorcuende. That is not exactly the sort of location where motorists would normally expect to encounter a member of the African Big Five. Nevertheless, authorities have taken the report seriously and activated a search involving several branches of the Guardia Civil.

SEPRONA, the Guardia Civil’s nature protection unit, is leading the operation, with officers checking the surrounding countryside while aerial searches are carried out. A helicopter from the Community of Madrid has been deployed, while drones operated by the Toledo Guardia Civil command have also been flying over the area.

Has a lion escaped from a zoo?

One obvious question has been whether a big cat could have escaped from a nearby animal attraction. The Guardia Civil has checked Zoo Safari Fauna Aventura in Hinojosa de San Vicente, which is located in the same general area, as well as other possible private animal holdings.

Checks have also extended to zoos in the Community of Madrid. So far, however, no missing lion has been reported.

That leaves investigators with a rather unusual mystery: somebody appears to have seen something that looked enough like a lion to warrant a call to the emergency services, but there is currently no confirmed escaped big cat. Officials have not ruled out the possibility that the reported animal could have come from a nearby private collection or facility, so the checks are continuing.

Locals warned to take care

Several town halls have also reacted to the report, warning residents through social media to take precautions while the search continues. Hinojosa de San Vicente, Navamorcuende, El Real de San Vicente and Almendral de la Cañada are among the municipalities that have passed on information to residents.

Almendral de la Cañada’s mayor, Marcelino Fernandez, told the press that the Guardia Civil had contacted the town hall and described the reaction locally as one of surprise and nervousness.

Anyone who believes they have seen the animal å report it to the emergency services rather than attempting to approach it. Spain’s 112 emergency service can coordinate the response of the relevant police, rescue and emergency bodies when there is a potential risk to people, property or the environment.

Until the mystery is solved, residents around the Sierra de San Vicente may want to think twice before taking an evening stroll through the hills. After all, there are plenty of things you might expect to encounter in the Toledo countryside. A bloody great lion is probably not one of them!