‘Charles the Monarch’ dog mistaken for baby lion in 911 call (VIDEO)

Calls to 911 about a lion on the loose in Norfolk, Virginia, turned out to be more bark than bite — literally.

Dispatchers received at least three separate calls Tuesday reporting a baby lion roaming the city's streets near the zoo, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

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“I’d like to report a lion sighting,” one caller said.

“Say that again?” a dispatcher replied, according to recordings obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.

“There was a lion that ran across the street — a baby lion," one woman said. "It was about the size of a Labrador retriever.” 

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But instead of a lion, the animal in question was Charles the Monarch, a labradoodle with a lion-like haircut in honor of Old Dominion University's mascot, who was out for a stroll.

His owner, Daniel Painter, told the newspaper this isn't the first time Charles has been mistaken for the real thing.

"I tell people he's a Lab-a-lion, and half the people believe that," he said.

Charles is also something of a social media sensation. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 4,200 people had "liked" his page on Facebook.