PARIS — Police officers were sent to guard schools,
while hundreds of security officers scoured large areas near the
French capital. Spooked drivers locked their car doors. Residents
cowered at home, fearful that a menacing tiger would devour them
whole.
But a little more than 24 hours after the French police
began their frantic search, they concluded that the errant feline
was no tiger but, possibly, a large or perhaps overweight domestic
cat.
At a time of economic and political malaise, the French
could use a diversion, and the renegade beast — first spotted in
Montévrain, a town east of the capital not far from Disneyland
Paris — captured the national imagination, while also stoking more
than a little fear.
It may also have played into what commentators have
said is a growing public anxiety, stemming from 14 illegal drone
flights over French nuclear plants in recent weeks, raising concern
about the security of the country’s main source of electricity.
French authorities say they have no idea who was behind the
mysterious flights.
Then came the reports of a large wild cat on the loose,
slinking around the outskirts of the French capital and eluding a
hunting squad that included officers armed with tranquilizer guns
and a helicopter equipped with a thermal detector. As of Friday
evening, they proved no match for the elusive cat, which officials
estimated weighed at least 100 pounds, based on the size of its
tracks.
The national agency for hunting and wildlife was quoted
by Agence France-Presse as saying that the cat was not dangerous.
“It is between a domestic cat and a larger feline,” said Eric
Hansen, an official from the agency, who also ruled out that it was
a lynx.
The police said dozens of sightings have been phoned
in. One driver reported spotting the cat crossing the A4, a major
highway, prompting the authorities to tell drivers and residents in
the area not to leave their cars, or, worse, venture into the
woods. The feline was also seen stalking a gas station and prowling
near the parking lot of a supermarket, news reports said.
This photo provided by the town council
of Montévrain on Thursday shows what was initially described as a
tiger. Credit
