French police animal brigade staff scour woods east of Paris for the mysterious feline, inset. Photo / AP
About 200 police officers, 30 members of the armed forces, a helicopter and specialist dogs trained to sniff out their quarry. And still, 48 hours after it was first spotted, a tiger (or more likely a smaller member of the big cat family) was still on the loose near Paris
last night.
In the town hall of Montevrain, just 4km from Disneyland Paris, officials have been left scratching their heads, not only over what the big cat might be, but also where it might be hiding.
In a situation like this, the beast is supposed to have been found after 48 hours, said Cedric Tartaud-Gineste, a member of Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right UMP party and an official in the mayor's office in Montevrain.
After locals reported seeing a tiger on Thursday, or according to one eyewitness, a big beast with a feline gait, the hunt has been on. Yesterday, officers with rifles were seen marching through surrounding countryside, but local authorities also announced yesterday that analysis of fresh paw prints indicated the big cat was not a tiger.
A delegate of the National Board of Wildlife and Hunting, Eric Hansen, suggested the animal could be a lynx or a big wild cat. Yet in another twist, local zoos and circuses have all denied having lost such a feline.
