Tiger escapes zoo and wanders border city near Texas for nearly a week, officials say

A tiger was on the run for nearly a week after escaping a zoo near the Texas border, officials said.

Tony the tiger was captured not far from Quinta La Fauna zoo in the Mexico border city of Reynosa after breaking out of the facility Sept. 4, the city announced Sept. 10.

The zoo posted on social media that it would be closed until further notice as local officials began warning residents to be careful of the loose predator. They urged people to be vigilant, particularly at night.

The feline eluded capture but gave hints of his whereabouts. He was spotted in the days following his escape not too far from the zoo, and the city’s public safety department reported that the team found his tracks and what appeared to be tiger droppings.

Wildlife officials said they set up traps baited with meat and monitored by motion-sensing cameras to capture the tiger without harming him.

The tiger reportedly attacked animals before ultimately he was captured near the zoo in Los Longoria.

Reynosa officials said the tiger would be taken to a zoo in the city of Victoria, which is also in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

Reynosa Mayor Carlos Peña Ortiz thanked all the parties involved in the capture and shared photos of the tiger, which he said was uninjured during the catch.

The tiger escaped the zoo less than two months after Quinta La Fauna announced the predator had become a resident there.

The zoo is across the border from the Texas city of Granjeno, which is in the southern part of the state.

This story was originally published September 10, 2024 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Tiger escapes zoo and wanders border city near Texas for nearly a week, officials say."