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The
female tiger, which once performed for the Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey Circus, inexplicably got loose when the truck
carrying it and other large cats made an overnight stop outside
Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said in a
statement.
Numerous sightings of the striped feline were reported along
Interstate 75 during the early morning hours, it added.
"When the tiger became aggressive toward pets in the area, it
was deemed necessary for public safety to put it down, and it
was done quickly and humanely," the agency said.
An examination of the dead cat revealed a microchip tracing it
to Feld Entertainment Inc, the parent company of Ringling Bros.,
the state Natural Resources Department said, adding it was
investigating the incident and "possible charges are pending."
Feld spokesman Stephen Payne said the tiger, a 6-year-old named
Suzy, belonged to an act contracted with the circus, which
ceased operations in May.
"We were helping to transport the cats from Florida to Tennessee
ahead of them going to Europe," Payne said in an email to
Reuters, adding that the company was cooperating with
authorities.
(Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Steve Gorman
and Clarence Fernandez)
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