The news fascinated many in Algeria after the lifeless body of a lioness was discovered in a ravine near the town of Bordj Bou Arreridj, 200 km south of Algiers.
In a video that has gone viral on social networks, we see a man near the body of the animal in a ravine in a village in the municipality of El Yachir.
The presence of this mammal is fascinating since, with a few exceptions, the Atlas lion has been extinct in North Africa for more than a century. This can be observed in zoos in Morocco.
Did the cat escape from a zoo without being able to survive in the wild, or did a zoo dispose of the lioness' carcass without the authorities' knowledge? ©s? Internet users ask.
Speculation abounds, adding to the mystery as authorities have launched an investigation to try to understand what happened.
According to TSA Algeria, a veterinarian accompanied by the local hygiene manager and a team from the gendarmerie were on site to carry out the observation on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the municipality of El Yachir stated on its Facebook page that the animal's remains were buried on site, but the origin of the animal's death remains “unknown.”