NEW YORK (AP) -- After escaping from the circus, a white tiger alarmed picnickers and motorists Saturday on what for him apparently was a calm, half-mile stroll through an unfamiliar urban jungle.
The animal, named Apollo, was safely recaptured in the Queens section of the city -- but not before the sight of him on the Jackie Robinson Parkway caused a multi-car accident. Four adults and one child suffered minor injuries.
When the tiger lay down on a nearby street, six police officers with guns drawn created a perimeter around it, Capt. John Durkin said. The tiger's trainer arrived and coaxed it back into his cage.
"They did some type of signal, and the tiger jumped into the cage," Durkin said. "The tiger was taken into custody without incident."
The 7-year-old, 450-pound (200-kilogram) tiger is part of the Cole Bros. Circus that was performing in Forest Park.
The cat was being transferred from a small cage to a larger one when the two enclosures separated, creating an opening big enough for him to get out, police and parks officials said.
Apollo calmly prowled through a section of the park, walking past Mary Mason and other people at a church picnic.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/07/31/tiger.escape.ap/index.html
The animal, named Apollo, was safely recaptured in the Queens section of the city -- but not before the sight of him on the Jackie Robinson Parkway caused a multi-car accident. Four adults and one child suffered minor injuries.
When the tiger lay down on a nearby street, six police officers with guns drawn created a perimeter around it, Capt. John Durkin said. The tiger's trainer arrived and coaxed it back into his cage.
"They did some type of signal, and the tiger jumped into the cage," Durkin said. "The tiger was taken into custody without incident."
The 7-year-old, 450-pound (200-kilogram) tiger is part of the Cole Bros. Circus that was performing in Forest Park.
The cat was being transferred from a small cage to a larger one when the two enclosures separated, creating an opening big enough for him to get out, police and parks officials said.
Apollo calmly prowled through a section of the park, walking past Mary Mason and other people at a church picnic.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/07/31/tiger.escape.ap/index.html