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Dog mistaken for baby lion, prompts call to police

Posted at 7:39 AM, Jan 09, 2013
and last updated 2013-01-09 07:41:46-05

NORFOLK, Va. (WTVR) – A 911 call to police in Norfolk ends with a meeting between a zoo director and a Labradoodle.

According to the Virginia-Pilot the 911 caller reported that a baby lion was walking down Colley Avenue in Ghent, possibly looking for food, near 50th Street. 

So, naturally police called to check with the Virginia Zoo around 10:15 a.m. to make sure all the lions were accounted for.

Mramba, the male lion, and Zola, the female, were in their habitats.

As it turns out, it was Charles the Monarch that was out on the prowl.

While he’s not King of the Jungle, the poodle-lab mix is prince of the neighborhood. People living in the area know Charles well. After all he’s shaved to look like the mascot of Old Dominion University. 

Virginia Zoo Executive Director Greg Bockheim caught up with Charles, perhaps for consideration in an upcoming poodle exhibit.

You can check out more photos of Charles the Monarch on his Facebook page.