Police have warned residents to stay indoors after reports of a lion on the loose in Essex.
The large cat, believed to be a lion, was seen in fields off Earls Hall Drive in St Oysth, near Clacton, Essex, just before 7pm, police said.
Officers from Essex Police have been working with experts from Colchester Zoo who believe the reports to be genuine after being shown a photograph from a member of the public.
However police said the lion had not escaped from the zoo, as all its animals had been accounted for. It was not clear how old the lion was, officers added.
There is an increased police presence in the area, including firearms officers and the police helicopter searching near where the animal was spotted.
Police are also trying to establish where the lion may have come from and have urged anyone who sees the lion to call 999.
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