Authorities investigate claims of lion spotted in Jerash

AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature is closely following a claim posted on Facebook that a lion was sighted in a forest to the west of Jerash, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Thursday. 

"We are taking this information seriously and closely investigating it," Jerash Governor Raed Al Odwan said, adding that a drone was due to be used to survey all of Jordan's forests, especially Dibbeen forest and forests to the west of Jerash.  

One man claimed to authorities that he saw a wild animal “that seemed like a lion”. However, when asked to provide a description of the size and shape of the animal, his descriptions were allegedly contradictory, Petra reported.  

No reports have been filed of any animal attack in the area, according to Petra, which quoted several shepherds as saying that their herds had not been attacked by any wild animal.

The Maawa reserve in Souf, west of Jerash, is said to include a number of lions, as well as other wild animals, but, according to sources from the reserve, the animals are contained in fenced areas and regular inspections showed none of them were missing.