|
 Interest in all things lions has reached new heights in
Milwaukee as the city's fixation with its feline version of
Bigfoot - does it exist and is it really a lion? - has dominated
local news, water-cooler talk and social media.
Milwaukeeans are captivated by the possibility that a lion is
roaming their city.
"We found the Milwaukee lion," proudly proclaimed Ken Kenitz, as
he sped along with Anderson, who was covered in bronze body
paint while wearing fake white whiskers, fluffy ears and long
black fingernails.
Kenitz, a body painter, and Anderson, his canvass, had just
finished a photo shoot at several city landmarks as a way to
document the lion craze that has consumed Milwaukee after
several "lion-like animal" sightings were reported to police
during the last week.
Many residents also fear for the lion's well-being. On Tuesday,
a pit bull was shot in the paw when a gunman thought he had the
large cat in his sights.
"I would only shoot it as a last resort .... I hope they can
tranquilize it," said Reggie Bonds as he did maintenance work
around two stone lions outside of a Milwaukee funeral home. "I
am wondering how it got here, but it probably was someone's
pet."
Wisconsin is one of six states that do not prohibit the owning
of a lion as a pet, but Milwaukee ordinance bans ownership of
dangerous animals.
Some have taken to social media to compare Milwaukee's lion to
the Cowardly Lion in the movie Wizard of Oz. The Milwaukee lion
was "spotted in our parking lot dancing and singing with a girl
in red shoes!" the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee tweeted.
A handful of social media accounts posing as the lion have also
been created.
[to top of second column] |
"I love gazelles ... but there is sort of a manhunt going on right
now," one Tweet said. Playing off the city's nickname from its
brewing history, the tagline of a Facebook account was "Just a cat
that hangs out in Brew City."
Businesses have also gotten into the act, such as the Roman Coin, a
tavern on the city's East Side, that deems itself a "lion safety
zone" on its sidewalk sign. A billboard company is also posting
messages such as "let's play hide-and-go-seek" with portraits of
lions on boards throughout the city.
"It's a fun way ... to look at what's going on," said Kurt Weis, a
vice president of Lamar Advertising.
A local print shop has even created and sold more than 90 "I
survived #MkeLion" T-shirts.
"We are just having fun with the craze," said Brad Kuehl, the
general manager at Eggers Imprints.
The Milwaukee Zoo, where several lions reside, assured the community
that no lions were missing from its facility before it posted a few
Tweets making light of the sightings.
"On Wednesdays, Milwaukee County residents receive reduced
admission. But remember, that's humans only," it Tweeted with a
photo of a lion.
(Reporting By Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Sandra Maler)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
