Featured Image Credit: Preston Police
Topics: Animals, Social Media, UK News
Jess Battison
Police have issued an update after bizarre ‘wolf-like’ creatures were spotted roaming around Lancashire.
Yep, there may not have been a full moon this Halloween, but locals in Preston reported some suspicious howling on Thursday (30 October), and that seems spooky enough.
Taking to residents’ Facebook groups, speculation soon kicked off about the animals seen doing the rounds of the area and the police soon attended to sort the situation out.
Locals reported ‘howling wolves roaming around the neighbourhood’ as some even went as far as suggesting they could be ‘coyotes or golden jackals’.
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There was even footage on social media of the supposed ‘wolves’ minding their own business by the side of the road as a driver could be heard saying: “No joke, why are there wolves in the road? They're wolves. No way are they dogs. They can't be dogs. They're wolves. I'm not getting out of my van."
And LADs, I can’t lie, I think they look pretty cute, not as though Taylor Lautner has just transformed himself and started running through the forest.
A police spokesperson said that the force had received a report of ‘what were though to be wolf-type animals roaming’ around as officers and specially trained dog handlers attended.
“The three animals have been secured and taken to a safe location,” the statement added.
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"Enquiries into what type of animal they are, are ongoing, and once those enquiries have been conducted, they will be handed over to the relevant authorities.”
But some Facebookers were adamant that they were ‘definitely wolves’ as they reckoned they had ‘escaped’ from somewhere locally’ as they seemed to be semi ‘domesticated’.
Others suggested they were ‘wolves’ that someone had been keeping ‘as pets’ and they’d run away, while one joked they were someone’s ‘guard dogs’ let loose.
“They’re young wolfdogs,” another added. “Probably Czech Wolfdog crosses. Likely someone’s escapee pets."
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But while social media does its thing of taking a conspiracy theory and running with it, Lancashire Police shared a post to clear up a few things as they secured the creatures.
Sharing a ‘very impawtant, and pawsitive update about some Howlaweeny goings on’, Preston Police made it clear that the whole thing was actually real and not some kind of ‘trick’ for the celebrations.
The force wrote: “The dogs have been seized and we can confirm they are not thought to be wolves. We should’ve known … there was no full moon. We’ve now formally handed care of them over to the council.
“The members of the public who reported this did so in good faith, and we want to thank them for getting in touch.
“We know there’s been a lot of howling about this online, so we thought we best to update you.”
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Oh, come on, they are cute.