Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities announced Monday that local archaeologists have unearthed the mummy of an unusually large animal, most likely a lion or lioness.
The ministry said the mummy was excavated in Saqqara, a town south of Cairo that was a vast necropolis in antiquity and is home to the famed Step Pyramid.
Archaeologists frequently find mummified cats but the recovery of a lion is rare.
In 2004, the first lion skeleton was found, revealing the sacred status of the animal during ancient times.
The ministry said it will expand on the discovery at a press conference after running radar scans.
