Tiger goes on the run from Chinese circus after performers fail to lock its cage
‘Very tame’ two-year-old big cat on the prowl for 50 minutes until police guide it back to safety
A tiger went on the run from a Chinese circus after finishing a show because its cage had not been locked.
The animal had been performing in Chongyang county, a rural part of Hubei province, on Monday, according to local newspaper reports.
After the show finished about 5pm the tiger was guided to its cage backstage but it was not properly locked afterwards.
The unidentified Jiangsu-based acrobatic circus has been performing in the area since last Friday to mark the week-long holiday for National Day and the Mid-Autumn festival.
Chutian Metropolis Daily reported that the tiger escaped from its cage and began wandering around when circus employees were taking a break.
After discovering that it had escaped, members of the circus began to follow its movements and called the police.
A dozen police officers from Tiancheng police station in Chongyang county were called to the scene.
Armed with steel poles, the police and circus staff cornered the animal against a brick wall.
It was eventually guided back to its cage after a 50-minute effort.
The newspaper quoted the animal’s trainer as saying it was a two-year-old tiger that had spent a year with the circus.
It was described as “very tame” and performed tricks that included running down a slide and jumping through rings of fire.
The circus also uses other animals in its performances including bears, monkeys and goats.
The circus was given a warning about its safety procedures and asked to leave town by law enforcement officers, but no further action was taken.
