‘Tigers’ spotted in downtown Dallas may have been bobcats, police say

‘Tigers’ spotted in downtown Dallas may have been bobcats, police say

Posted Tuesday, Jul. 20, 2010

By NATHANIEL JONES
njones@star-telegram.com

Two cats spotted roaming downtown Dallas late Monday night appear to have been wild bobcats, police said Tuesday.

Frantic witnesses reported “possible tigers loose” shortly before 11 p.m. near Union Station, 400 S Houston St., said Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse, police spokesman.

The two cats were described as being knee-high and weighing about 50 pounds, Janse said.

The station, south of Dealey Plaza, is where Amtrak and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail services connect.

“The citizens went into Union Station and alerted security who called 911,” Janse said. “Officers searched the area for several hours (and) utilized the police helicopter.”

But, he said, “no large cats were found.”

Officers learned that a circus will soon come to Dallas, but none of its animals have reached Dallas yet, Janse said. He added that the Dallas Zoo “did not have any animals get out.”

Police concluded that the cats must have been bobcats, and they stopped the search.

However, Janse said, police warned the homeless to be aware of the large cats.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/20/2347626/tigers-spotted-in-downtown-may.html

http://bigcatrescue.org/