Owner Arrested After Tiger Seen Running Free in Texas Neighborhood
Tigers are not allowed within Houston city limits as a pet
By Associated Press and NBC 5 Staff ••
NBCUniversal, Inc.
Neighbors in Houston were doing double-takes after spotting a tiger sunbathing in a front yard Sunday. Now authorities are searching for the owner.
A man whose tiger was found wandering around a Houston neighborhood Sunday night has been arrested, police say. The tiger's whereabouts are still unknown.
A neighbor says families spotted the tiger lounging in the front yard of a home while out on an evening walk.
Video of the encounter shows the tiger walking toward a Waller County sheriff's deputy who lives in the neighborhood.
When the deputy pulled out his service weapon, another man from a nearby home reportedly came out shouting, "Don't shoot!"
The deputy tells the tiger's caretaker, "Get your tiger back inside." No shots were fired.
The big cat was later corralled back inside the home, then the caretaker rushed the tiger away in a white Jeep as police arrived, the Houston Chronicle reported.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki has really become more confident in the past few weeks. True to his name, he loves to play with either his boomer balls or even a game of hide and seek with his caregivers at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. This photo was taken on 5/31/19.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki has really become more confident in the past few weeks. True to his name, he loves to play with either his boomer balls or even a game of hide and seek with his caregivers at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. This photo was taken on 5/31/19.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki has really become more confident in the past few weeks. True to his name, he loves to play with either his boomer balls or even a game of hide and seek with his caregivers at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. This photo was taken on 5/31/19.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki has really become more confident in the past few weeks. True to his name, he loves to play with either his boomer balls or even a game of hide and seek with his caregivers at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. This photo was taken on 5/31/19.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki has really become more confident in the past few weeks. True to his name, he loves to play with either his boomer balls or even a game of hide and seek with his caregivers at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. This photo was taken on 5/31/19.
Maura Flaherty/HSUS
Loki the tiger exploring his new yard at Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. He got access to this habitat, which is larger than his old one, after being fixed and completing his quarantine period. The habitat has a pool, a hammock, and a cave so that Loki can have fun and feel at home.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki has really become more confident in the past few weeks. True to his name, he loves to play with either his boomer balls or even a game of hide and seek with his caregivers at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. This photo was taken on 5/31/19.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki, once someone’s “pet” and found in an abandoned home in Houston in 2019, is enjoying his new life at Black Beauty.
Maura Flaherty/HSUS
Loki the tiger at Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch playing with a paper mache giraffe.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki the Tiger in his habitat at Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki, once someone’s “pet” and found in an abandoned home in Houston in 2019, is enjoying his new life at Black Beauty.
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki the Tiger in his habitat at Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch
JP Bonnelly/HSUS
Loki, once someone’s “pet” and found in an abandoned home in Houston in 2019, is enjoying his new life at Black Beauty.
The Texas state director of the Humane Society of the United States says it is working to secure passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act in Congress. It would ban the possession of big cat species like tigers and lions as pets and prohibit using them at facilities that allow public contact with big cats.
