Escaped tiger rumor leads to preserve evacuation

By Matt Aiken
Published: Sunday, March 2, 2008 12:44 PM EST

Visitors at Chestatee Wildlife Preserve were cleared out of the park
Saturday afternoon when news of an escaped tiger traveled through the
Old Dahlonega Highway facility

Preserve owner C.W. Wathen said the measure was taken as a safety
precaution but ultimately resulted in a big misunderstanding.

“The animal was confined at all times,” he said. ” … We were moving
a lion and some people saw us moving it and they thought it was a
tiger.”

When the news of an escaped tiger reached officials they cleared the
park.

It was then, according to Wathen, that the lion they were moving
became antagonized by the commotion and had to be tranquilized.

No one was injured in the incident.

“The public never was in any danger,” said Wathen.

http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/articles/2008/03/02/news/05%20tiger.txt

http://savethetigers62.blogspot.com/