‘Pet’ tiger stalks Houston neighbourhood after escaping home

A Bengal tiger has been filmed prowling Houston streets and scaring neighbours after it escaped from the house of a man keeping it as a pet.

A tiger was seen roaming a neighbourhood in Houston, Texas as police in the US city searched for the animal and its owner, a man who is currently on bail after being charged with murder.

The large cat got loose on Sunday, terrifying local residents. It had seemingly been kept as a pet.

“My main concern right now is focusing on finding him and finding the tiger because what I don’t want him to do is harm that tiger. We have plenty of places we can take that tiger and keep it safe and give it a home for the rest of its life,” Houston police commander Ron Borza said during a news conference.

The incident occurred around 8pm on Sunday night, local time, Fox 59 reports. According to footage that appeared on social media, the tiger was wearing a collar and was likely a pet.

The tiger was spotted walked through the Houston neighbourhood. Picture: @michaelschwab13

It came face-to-face with an armed off-duty Waller County sheriff’s deputy, police said.

The deputy can be seen yelling at the tiger’s owner to get the cat back inside.

When officers arrived, the man allegedly put the tiger in a white Jeep Cherokee and drove off, Mr Borza said.

A short pursuit followed, but the unidentified man got away. Authorities are planning to charge him with evading arrest, officials said.

Video of the incident was uploaded to Twitter by Michael Schwab. It appears to have been filmed from inside a house by a woman who is nervously watching as the tiger sits on a neighbour’s yard. The tiger suddenly gets up and starts walking towards the deputy.

The deputy then pulls out a gun as the tiger approaches him and comes very close to him. Fortunately, in the footage, the officer was not attacked.

The tiger’s owner was out on bail after being charged with murder in November in nearby Fort Bend County. He also apparently has monkeys in his home, Mr Borza said.

Neighbours called police after the big cat was seen in the suburban area. Picture: @michaelschwab13

Up to 5000 tigers in captivity in US

Having a monkey is not illegal in Houston if the animal is under 13.6kg. Tigers are not allowed within the Houston city limits unless the handler, such as a zoo, is licensed to have exotic animals.

In 2019, some people who went into an abandoned Houston home to smoke marijuana found a caged tiger. The tiger’s owner was later ordered to pay for the animal’s care at an East Texas wildlife refuge.

“If that tiger was to get out and start doing some damage yesterday, I’m sure one of these citizens would have shot the tiger,” Mr Borza said.

“We have plenty of neighbours out here with guns and we don’t want to see that. It’s not the animal’s fault. It’s the breeder’s fault. It’s unacceptable.”

Up to 5000 tigers are thought to be in captivity in the US; an issue highlighted in the hugely popular Netflix series Tiger King.

In a statement about the incident, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, said tigers are not pets and are often exploited and bred by owners.

“Tigers aren’t animal companions,” the animal rights group said. “They’re unpredictable predatory animals who shouldn’t be forced to live in someone’s home.”

This article originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission