Camera put up to monitor mountain lions shocks police

When a local police force in the USA set up cameras to monitor local wildlife, they got more than they bargained for.

The Gardner Police Force in Kansas were hoping to capture mountain lions on camera after some local sightings and reports.

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However, when they went to check through the footage, there were a few other unexpected creatures spotted.

Locals who had caught wind of what the police were doing decided to try and spice up the camera footage, and it was a success.

Dressed in a variety of outfits, including Father Christmas and a gorilla, members of the public joked around in front of the camera.

It seems the local police were just as tickled by the practical joke as those who took part.

Posting a series of the images on their Facebook page the Gardner Police Force wrote: "We would like to sincerely thank the persons responsible as it made our day when we pulled up what we expected to be hundreds of pictures of coyotes, foxes and raccoons.

"Thank you to the citizens who noticed the cameras. Your effort and sense of humor are greatly appreciated."

Lieutenant Lee Krout told KSHB: "It's not impossible for there to be mountain lions in this area because there have been reports in the past.

He also added that the footage made him laugh immediately, saying: "I called a couple of other people in the room and said: 'Hey you gotta see this'.

"Even if they weren't looking to make us laugh, they were looking to make somebody laugh and that's why we wanted to put it out there and I think we succeeded."