A lion prowled the streets of an Italian seaside town for several hours after escaping from a local circus, before being sedated and captured, Ednews reports via The Guardian.
Alessandro Grando, the mayor of Ladispoli, near Rome, had told residents to stay at home on Saturday while police and circus staff sought to catch the animal.
Videos later published by the Italian media, apparently taken by locals but not authenticated by the Guardian, showed the adult lion walking through dark and deserted streets.
In a Facebook post at around 10.30pm (2130 GMT), more than five hours after his original message raising the alarm, Grando said the lion had been “sedated and captured”.
“Now he will be taken in hand by the circus staff,” he wrote, thanking emergency services and volunteers who helped during “these hours of great concern”.
“I hope that this episode can stir some consciences, and that we can finally put an end to the exploitation of animals in circuses,” the mayor added.
Akbar Novruz
