Ras Al Khaimah authorities conducted a three-hour search for a lion cub on Monday after a picture was circulated on social media apparently showing the animal on the loose.
But it turned out to be a hoax, according to a report in Gulf News.
The image was accompanied by a voice message warning residents of She Al Zahra in the Al Barerat area to be careful and keep their children inside.
The RAK Public Works Department said it received a call about the lion at 4.30pm and a team was immediately dispatched to search for the missing animal.
But after three hours of intensive searching, nothing was found.
The search was called off when a RAK Police official told the team that it was an old picture, and that there was no animal on the loose.