On the Prowl

The search is on for a tiger spotted in Knoxville, Tennessee

Authorities in Knoxville, Tennessee, are still searching for a tiger that was spotted on Wednesday night in an industrial park.  A Knox County Sheriff's Office deputy saw the animal at the Forks of the River Industrial Park on the east side of the city, according to a news release.  Another sighting was reported on Thursday morning, a few miles away, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).

A wildlife officer is patrolling the area, but there have been no further sightings or signs of the animal, TWRA spokesman Matt Cameron told CNN.  The TWRA set a trap to try to catch the tiger, but removed it at about noon on Thursday because there wasn't any activity, Cameron said.

The agency is asking residents in the area to check the footage from their security cameras to see if they caught a glimpse of the big cat, the spokesman said.  Sheriff's patrol units and AirWatch searched for the tiger along with the Knoxville Police Department's Animal Control, the sheriff's office said.

Representatives from Tiger Haven, a no-kill tiger sanctuary in Kingston, Tennessee, are helping with the search, according to the sheriff's office. Tiger Haven is about 50 miles southwest of where the tiger was spotted.

CNN affiliate WVLT reports that Knoxville police dispatch got several calls overnight from people who thought they saw the tiger, and crews responded to one call on Thursday morning.
It's not known where the tiger came from.

Zoo Knoxville, in a Facebook post on Thursday morning, said that it wasn't one of its big cats .
"We want to reassure everyone that our Zoo Knoxville Malayan tigers Arya, Bashir and Tanvir are all safely accounted for. Our team is standing by to assist if needed," the zoo wrote.  The sheriff's office is urging residents to contact them if they see the tiger.

This article was written by David Williams.