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The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 03:50 PM
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Tiger Escapes From Transport Headed From Georgia To Tennessee
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Henry County Police Department identified the owner and transport contractor responsible for the Bengal tiger that escaped and roamed freely early Wednesday morning in Henry County, CBS46 in Atlanta reports.

A representative from Feld Entertainment, Inc., the company that was contracted to transport the tiger, reported the animal missing from a shipment after seeing news reports Wednesday morning. The tiger was meant to be traveling from Florida to Tennessee.

The truck carrying the tiger stopped in Georgia overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning, and during the stop, the female tiger managed to escape without anyone noticing. Officials found the tiger was missing when the truck arrived at its destination.

The tiger was seen in several locations around the I-74/Jodeco Road exit. It apparently became aggressive towards pets in the area, and local law enforcement said it was necessary to protect the public and put the tiger down. The tiger was put down quickly and humanely, CBS46 reports.

After the tiger was examined, a microchip was found inside the animal and matched to the number held by Feld Entertainment.

The investigation remains ongoing with possible charges pending.