Tiger on the run near Cancún sparks concern
Over the weekend, a loose tiger was spotted on the highway between Cancún and Leona Vicario.
Passersby took photographs and recorded videos of the large feline, which they posted to social media.
There has been much speculation about where the tiger may have come from, but until now no further details have been released.
Local police say that no attacks have been reported and that they have contacted Quintana Roo state wildlife authorities for assistance.
Earlier: Spiders and howlers: Yucatán’s charming species of New World monkeys
The Yucatán Peninsula is home to several species of large cats including jaguars, pumas, and ocelots — but not tigers.
Back in 2018, in Quintana Roo’s state capital of Chetumal, wildlife agents rescued a Bengal tiger, as well as a spider monkey from captivity in an unnamed person’s backyard.
The large adult Bengal tiger was chained to a cocoa tree by his neck and chest and lacked a sleeping area and shelter from the sun. The caged monkey was living in similar conditions.
Although exact numbers are hard to come by, it is suspected that dozens of large felines native to Africa and Asia are being kept in private zoos around the peninsula.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
