Bengal tiger escapes circus causing panic in Sicily

A Bengal tiger caused panic on the streets of Sicily after escaping a circus (not the actual tiger pictured). File photo / 123RF

A tiger caused mass panic on the streets of Sicily after escaping from a travelling circus for hours.

The predatory beast escaped its captors in Monreale, Palermo at dawn and managed to patrol the town of 38,000 residents until mid-morning when motorists spotted it and called the police, according to local reports.

Members of the public took refuge inside buildings as the emergency services scrambled to cage the big cat on Saturday although others stayed and watched events unfold.

The white feline, called Oscar, rested outside what appears to be a kitchen shop and residents from the safety of the flats above could be seen posing for selfies from their balconies with the marauding beast in the background.

Disturbing video footage shows the big cat calmly strolling back and forth in a car park, looking at a crowd that had gathered through a fence.

Traffic was blocked for a few hours along the nearby highway as authorities struggled to contain it and keep locals safe.

Monreale Mayor Piero Capizzi said at first he thought someone was joking when he was told a tiger was on the loose.

The animal was re-captured after being coaxed to go inside a series of increasingly smaller cages.

It was then safely taken back to the circus.

The special police force, deployed to capture the beast, and circus trainers considered using tranquilsers to sedate it but decided to use a cage instead not to harm it.

The mayor says it is not known how the it escaped from the circus, which is currently performing in the Monreale area and are from Sweden, reported ANSA.

Police are also said to be questioning members of the circus over the potentially life threatening incident.

The tiger is due to perform at the circus this Monday.