Tiger spotting in Tennessee prompts huge search efforts

A tiger spotted roaming the streets of Tennessee overnight has sparked a massive hunt in the Knoxville area.

A Knox County Sheriff’s deputy first caught sight of the giant feline in the Forks of the River Industrial Park late Wednesday, according to Knox News. Local law enforcement have since teamed up with representatives at Tiger Haven, a big cat sanctuary in Kingston, to locate the big cat.

Authorities spent the night combing through the industrial park — which is a sprawling 1,460 acres — but to no avail.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency on Thursday took over and continued to search for the tiger late into the morning. Knoxville police, animal control and Air Watch are also assisting in the effort.

The last confirmed sighting of the jungle animal was around 7 a.m., though there have been dozens of tips about its possible whereabouts that have not yet been verified.

Officials with Knox County Emergency Management told local outlets, there have been unconfirmed sightings in the eastern part of the county, along John Sevier Highway.

A spokeswoman for the Knoxville Zoo said all tigers are currently accounted for, adding that the facility’s staff had not been involved in search efforts for the missing feline.