This big cat was on the lam.
A white Bengal tiger named Oscar caused panic on the streets of Monreale, Italy on Saturday when it escaped from a travelling circus.
Terrified residents of the small town of about 38,000 in Sicily barricaded themselves inside their homes and frantically called police. Some took selfies from inside their homes as the beast evaded capture, the Telegraph UK reported.
Monreale Mayor Piero Capizzi said he initially thought reports of an escaped tiger was a joke.
But traffic cops tracked down the tiger, and specialist officers surrounded him in a private parking lot, coaxing Oscar into a series of cages and ending his two-hour taste of freedom.
The large cat was safely returned to the Swedish traveling circus he was trying to leave, officials said.
Capizzi said it’s unclear how the massive animal managed to escape. Police are questioning the circus over the incident.
With Post Wire Services