CENTENNIAL, Colo. – It wasn't quite as mysterious as a Loch Ness Monster or sasquatch sighting. But rumors of a young Bengal tiger, first reported in late November by a motorist who used a cell phone to snap photos of it being ferried around town in an SUV, turned out to be true.
Colorado Division of Wildlife officials seized the animal on Wednesday after conducting surveillance on a home where there were two reports of a tiger in a backyard, agency spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said in a statement.
The tiger's alleged owner, Patrick Michael, was issued a summons for a charge of unlawfully possessing wildlife.
Bengal tiger owners in Colorado must have a special license that requires strict caging requirements. In a statement, Churchill said that neither the SUV owner nor the owner of the home had such a license.
Division of Wildlife veterinarians helped capture the tiger, which was to be sent to a licensed facility pending the court case.
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