Residents in a suburban Mexico area were taken aback after seeing a tiger leave its owner’s home and saunter along the streets.
On Tuesday in Tecuala, a town about 300 miles south west of Sinaloa with a population of more than 40,000 people, a video of the incident shows a woman rapidly hurrying away from the male Bengal as she films it roaming down a pavement.
A toddler can be heard shouting’mommy’ in the video, before his mother orders him to ‘Shut up!’ It isn’t going to harm you; it is on the other side.’
A voice off camera can be heard informing the couple that the tiger was still a threat.
In Mexico, it is allowed to keep wild animals, and they may be purchased online for as little as $25.
The tiger can be seen sleeping on the ground in front of a truck parked near to the residence it escaped from in a second video obtained on Tuesday of the tiger prowling the streets.
The animal’s owner can be seen approaching him and tying a rope around his neck. Residents are shocked as the rope comes loose and slips off while the animal is being taken away.
Because it is permitted to own wild cats in Mexico, animal activist Antonio Franyuti told Infoabe that it is common to find them in people’s backyards, rooftops, basements, and garages.
On April 29, Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies passed a law prohibiting the keeping of exotic animals as pets by a vote of 463 to 0 with one abstention.
The Senate has yet to vote on the proposal, which includes a ban on the acquisition of lions, tigers, jaguars, and panthers as well as measures to punish owners who keep the wild creatures imprisoned, abandoned, and abused.
Deputy Melissa Vargas of Toluca said it’s usual for individuals to pay $25 to $35 for newborn wild cats sold online.
‘They’re adorable, but wild cats aren’t pets, and we have to look after them,’ Vargas added.