Toy tiger sparks standoff with Scottish police

This toy tiger sparked a nearly hour-long stand off with police in Scotland. (Courtesy of UK Cop Humor)

Armed police stormed a Scottish farm after receiving a report a tiger was on the loose – only to discover the big cat was a cuddling toy laying on the road.

A Facebook group -- UK Cop Humor -- shared photos of the stuffed animal and poked fun at the officers who reported to the farm.

"Nervous radio updates start coming in stating it was unclear if the Tiger has eaten any cattle but it appeared well fed and it’s ears were seen to twitch but other than that it was very settled," the post said. "After some time a rather sheepish sounding Sergeant comes on the air and declares that it was indeed a stuffed toy!"

Authorities said they received the “unusual” call late Saturday and decided to verify the potential danger.

“It’s true – our officers had a roaring shift on Saturday night,” the North East Police Division posted on Facebook.

A farmer said he was checking on his pregnant cows when he spotted the alleged wild animal. (Courtesy of UK Cop Humor)

According to the Scottish Sun, the incident began when farmer Bruce Grubb, 24, when out to the barn to check on his pregnant cows. He soon spotted what he thought was a real tiger and called the police.

"I had absolutely no doubt it was real," Grubb told the newspaper. "I got a hell of a scare. I was worried it was going to eat all my cows before police managed to shoot it."

Once police arrived, the cops had a nearly hour-long standoff with the alleged wild beast -- that is until Grubb approached with his truck, only to discover it was a stuffed toy.

"I was stone cold sober, drink had nothing to do with me thinking it was real," Grubb told The Sun.

Peterhead Inspector George Cordiner said in post on Facebook it is standard practice to send out armed officers to any “potential threat,” adding they “were not deployed nor required.”

"Our ultimate aim is to protect the public and keep our officers safe when faced with uncertain situations,” he continued. “Until you know exactly what you are dealing with, every option has to be considered.”

It's unclear who owns the stuffed tiger.

“We appreciate that it was a false call made with genuine good intent," Cordiner said.