A lookout alert was issued by the Knox County Sheriff’s Department after several reports of a tiger being spotted in southeast portion of the city September 10, 2020.
Knox County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Units, Animal Control, Air Watch, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Knoxville Police’s Animal Control Unit and representatives with Tiger Haven were working Wednesday night, September 9, 2020 to locate the tiger after it was spotted by a Knox County deputy in the Forks of the River Industrial Park off of Island River Drive.
As of now, officials are uncertain as to where the tiger came from.The Knoxville Zoo released a statement saying that all of their tigers were accounted for which further added to the mystery.
https://www.facebook.com/zooknoxville/posts/10163909967255648?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCQErNaFum1qvQIN_DGz0FobeWTjswN8EZkbxYkscgOjCSGcpYJkPUxWhmB5ZAZPhIu8LdttnEI-Oz9AZW-3LLcWX-INFzqToPWBq-aAm-mwRH8OY_H28d5EMvIj3Dmt5LNngKpoRGPUTv3faiFwlQLg59TVdCOKl4r-3o53IbAZK8exEnxB1pPDX-iMqENA3dfacnd0AEhvCBD4Ru2xhB9ZLCbtrYRB85UFEukyE-WgBa6eFdpcK-YpBwrt5p6p40Jj1g7RsCnxqqIobeiVX1vAhapyk667bfju6QgiWD0QaHzov8lKHUGTuoVi8nxkgBf4PQXcW6sEYs25Ka95mdbnqvcqQqQZTy7eYGSiggjk90CimQ1yjS4NGLrt6tXD7Y_BBj4vng8ii6K5q2nF5W-xAoutDfXly_kCMFPytLjRl6nAH7zTlDfGH6V8KVywZ6kvkAQE-6fOgOADDUj7zTf2npQAx_E4QTe8AG8WVX5ljQ&__tn__=-R
Tiger Haven, a big cat rescue located about 30 miles from Knoxville also confirmed that all of their tigers are present and accounted for. A news reporter giving updates via Twitter stated that a bear trap had been set to hopefully catch the tiger. The bait being used is a whole chicken from a grocery store.
TIGER TALK: The trap for the Tiger spotted in #Knoxville is a humane bear trap and hanging inside is a “grocery store chicken”
This area where it was spotted is dense with foliage, but there is a water source near it — which is helpful for the Tiger, if you’re curious. @6News
— Madisen Keavy (@madisenkeavy) September 10, 2020
Knox County dispatch said a report of another sighting of the tiger in East Knoxville was made around 7:30 a.m.
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