Georgia officials caught two tigers by the toe — after the dangerous animals escaped a local zoo during a tornado Sunday morning.
The Troup County Sheriff’s Office noted on social media that a tiger had escaped early Sunday, as it urged residents to stay off the roads during the ongoing storm.
Pine Mountain Safari — a zoo about 80 miles south of Atlanta where the animals were being kept — added that a second tiger went missing during the fierce weather, too.
The safari company wrote on Facebook later in the morning that the two unaccounted-for tigers had been captured and brought back to the facility.
“THE TIGERS ARE SAFE! Like much of Southwest Georgia, Pine Mountain Safari sustained extensive tornado damage this morning,” the park said in the post.
“Fortunately, none of our animals and employees were hurt. However, several animal enclosures were breached, and two tigers briefly escaped.”
“Both have now been found, tranquilized, and safely returned to a secure enclosure,” the zoo said.
Pine Mountain Safari thanked the community for its support as it works on recovering from the tornado.
“We appreciate your concern and support during this difficult time. Pine Mountain Safari is committed to the safety of our employees, our animals, our customers, and our community,” the zoo said. “We will continue to update this page with other relevant storm-related information, as warranted.”
The zoo also wrote on Facebook that it will be closed Sunday after the terrifying tornado, which hit two days after an outbreak of tornados killed at least 26 people in Mississippi and one in Alabama.
President Biden issued a major disaster declaration for Mississippi on Sunday.
A Tornado Watch has been issued for parts of Georgia and Alabama until 1 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
A flash flood warning has been issued for the region lasting through 2 p.m.
