February 23, 2005
There Are Tigers in Them Thar Hills
Last week my mom called to tell me that a 600-pound wild tiger was loose in the hills near my hometown. Parents of small children and owners of outdoor pets were all panicky. Local-boy police officers clutched their guns. Bands of teens loitering at the strip mall they could handle, but this--this was a tiger! (Or, they thought, perhaps it was a lion. All authorities had to go on was a set of mysterious 6-inch-plus paw prints that had been spotted in the hills bordering a residential development. All documented large cats in the state were accounted for when officials contacted the holders of the permits, and still no one has come forward claiming to have lost a tiger.)
Today, the kids, pets, and yes, the Reagan Library, are saved. The tiger is dead. I have to say, I was sad to hear that the drama had ended (especially given the fact that the animal was killed rather than tranquilized and moved to a zoo or refuge). I loved the idea of a wild tiger stalking the residents of what for several years running has been regarded the safest city in the nation.
4 comments
Yes, the tiger is no longer stalking us... very sad indeed that they had to kill him. And yes, I love the irony of wild animals stalking the residents of the "safest city in America!"
This story made the Today show. You are reporting on things way before it reaches the national news!
Yes! So ironic...we keep another wild animal who has roamed the hills and canyons of Simi Valley (Charles Manson) alive and well in a California prison for the past 30+ years, but shoot dead a magnificent animal as soon as he shows his stripes. That sucks!!
I hate when things like that happen. We had a bear or something lose near our house once. It's so sad when they have to be killed. :-(