Escaped lion terrifies shoppers while devouring meat at Ipswich Aldi.

By Our Norfolk Reporter: Ian Bred

IPSWICH — Shoppers at a local Aldi supermarket were forced to re-evaluate their weekly meal plans on Tuesday afternoon when an adult male lion, newly escaped from Ipswich Zoo,  appeared in the fresh meat department.

The apex predator, identified by zoo officials as “Leopold,” reportedly breached security at approximately 2:15 PM. Bypassing a queue of disgruntled patrons returning defective garden hoses, the lion made a direct line for the refrigerated section. Witnesses reported that the animal exhibited no interest in the Super 6 vegetable discounts, focusing entirely on the British minced beef and pork chops.

“I heard a commotion and thought it was just a particularly aggressive shopper trying to grab the last packet of lamb shanks,” said local resident Brenda Higgins, 62. “But then it roared, knocked over a display of digestives, and started ripping through the plastic packaging with its teeth. I abandoned my trolley and hid behind the Special Buys.”

Aisle Be Damned

Chaos ensued as management initiated store-wide evacuation protocols, which were heavily delayed because several shoppers insisted on scanning their items at the self-checkout before fleeing. Store CCTV footage captured the lion casually browsing the selection, scattering premium cuts across the tiled floor, and consuming roughly £120 worth of meat products.

An Aldi spokesperson later confirmed that while the store takes customer safety seriously, they cannot condone consuming products before reaching the till. “We encourage all customers, including large African carnivores, to use a basket,” the statement read.

The situation was resolved forty minutes later when zookeepers successfully tranquilised the animal. Store management confirmed Aisle 4 has been thoroughly sanitised, and the remaining meat has been discarded, except for the ribeyes, which were heavily discounted for quick sale.