Mexican authorities are frantically searching for a massive tiger that escaped from a zoo in the northern border city of Reynosa.
The missing feline escaped from its cage at the Quinta La Fauna zoo on Wednesday around 8:30 a.m., Mexico’s federal environmental protection agency reported.
Zoo staff alerted local, state and federal authorities and posted messages on social media to warn the public and ask for their help in locating the wild cat.
Mexican authorities also alerted their counterparts in the border city of Hidalgo, Texas, as the zoo is located near the Rio Grande, which is also a major crossing point for migrants seeking to reach the U.S. border.
The tigers are at the Quinta La Fauna zoo in the northern Mexican border city of Reynosa, where one tiger escaped from its cage on Wednesday morning. Mexican authorities have warned their counterparts in Hidalgo, Texas
Quinta La Fauna Zoo remained closed as of Friday
Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Lt. Enrique Longoria told KVEO that “we are advising our deputies to remain vigilant.”
The tiger is three years old and weighs approximately 440 pounds.
The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection said it received reports from neighbors who had seen the tiger and provided locations, but it remains on the loose.
“It should be noted that there are areas of dense vegetation in the surrounding area, which makes it difficult to capture the tiger,” the agency said.
A tiger rests at the Quinta La Fauna zoo in the border city of Reynosa in northern Mexico
Aaron De La Cruz, who oversees the agency’s regional office in Reynosa, told local media that the tiger ran off after witnesses spotted it.
“So far the animal has not had any intention of attacking anyone, but it is still a large animal that is scared,” he said.
De La Cruz added that the zoo normally works with the agency to take in animals that need special care and that this was the first time any had escaped from the zoo.
“We are taking all necessary precautions to capture the tiger without endangering the population,” he said.
The Quinta La Fauna zoo has been closed to visitors since Friday.