Home / Disasters and Accidents / Bengal Tiger Roams Texas Suburb, Sparks Panic
Bengal Tiger Roams Texas Suburb, Sparks Panic
8 Feb
Summary
- A Bengal tiger escaped and was found wandering a Houston suburb.
- The tiger was eventually recovered by its owner, who kept it illegally.
- Four US states lack laws against keeping dangerous wild animals as pets.
Residents of a Houston suburb experienced a terrifying Sunday evening when a Bengal tiger was seen walking through their neighborhood. The unusual visitor, a nine-month-old tiger named India, caused significant panic as captured in social media videos. An off-duty sheriff's deputy attempted to manage the situation before the tiger's owner appeared and enticed the animal into a car.
Authorities apprehended the owner, who had been keeping India illegally. The tiger was subsequently transferred to Black Beauty Ranch, a wildlife rescue center. This event underscores a significant issue: four U.S. states—Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin—currently have no laws prohibiting the private ownership of dangerous wild animals.
Despite the concerning incident of illegal ownership, there is some positive news regarding tiger populations globally. After a century of decline, wild tiger numbers are showing signs of recovery in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, and China. However, populations in parts of Southeast Asia remain critically endangered, and the illegal wildlife trade continues to pose a significant threat.
