Escaped lion causes panic in Italy
For the residents of the Italian port city of Ladispoli, it must have been a rather unusual sight: a lion roaming the streets of their city. The predator had escaped from a circus.
In the Italian port city of Ladispoli, a lion that had broken out of a circus caused a stir for several hours on Saturday.
The predator roamed through the streets of the 40’000-inhabitant city north of Rome in the afternoon. Mayor Alessandro Grando urged residents to exercise “utmost caution.” It took several hours before the animal could be sedated and recaptured.
Several videos circulated on the internet showing the animal strolling calmly through the streets of the port city and along the pavements. Most residents stayed inside their homes and apartments as a precaution. Some were temporarily also trapped in their cars. The animal was later spotted in a reed bed in the vicinity of Ladispoli.
In the evening, authorities managed to locate the lion and administer a sedative injection, as the mayor announced. The lion then fell asleep after a few minutes and was brought back to the circus.
Prior to this, he had urged his constituents to remain at home while police and circus staff attempted to catch the big cat.
“I hope this episode can raise awareness and that we can finally put an end to the exploitation of animals in circuses,” the mayor wrote following the lion's capture.
In anticipation of possible complaints, he made it clear that he had not authorised the presence of a circus with lions in the city, but that he did not have the power to prevent it.
