Authorities have returned a Bengal tiger to a circus in Italy’s Monreale, hours after the huge cat’s escape rendered the streets of the Sicilian city out of bounds for many pedestrians.
The white tiger was able to slip away from its circus enclosure near the town of Monreale on Saturday morning, according to Italy’s Corriere Del Mezzogiorno.
With the animal on the prowl, sharpshooters were reportedly dispatched in case the exotic beast got out of control and lashed out.
The tiger, named Oscar, was eventually tracked down close to a ceramics factory where it was cornered in a car park. It was then coaxed safely into a large, circular cage using a lump of raw meat as bait.
According to La Stampa, authorities elected not to use a sedative in order to protect the majestic creature’s health.
Footage of the rather odd incident, shows the tiger strolling around a gated car park as armed members of the Polizia Municipale look on.
The big cat’s unexpected walkabout caused the local highway to be shut down and local residents were ordered inside until the incident was over.