French authorities have said a young tiger is on the loose near Disneyland Paris.
The town of Montevrain sent a news alert on its Facebook page Thursday saying the young tiger was spotted in the brush behind some tennis courts and a soccer field. The field is about 9 kilometers from the popular tourist theme park. Town authorities said in a statement that police and rescue squads are on the scene and had roped off a security perimeter. They urged everyone nearby to avoid the area and to get around only by vehicle — not on foot.
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A photo of the animal was posted on Twitter and Montevrain's Facebook page, but some are skeptical of the authenticity.
TIGER loose near Paris! Where did she come from? Hope they make a grand effort to capture her!— Diana Romanos (@romdia) November 13, 2014
"Paris Tiger" is rather little #herekitty — MDS (@mikederismith) November 13, 2014
EuroDisney, the operator of Disneyland Paris, said it has no tigers in the theme park, so the errant cat could not have come from them. Local zoo Parc des Felins has also denied that it's their beast.
Authorities have tracked down the animal by its paw prints and are hoping to sedate it, the Mirror reports.