A lion that escaped from a circus in the Italian town of Ladispoli, near Rome, on Saturday has been recaptured after several hours on the loose, the local mayor has announced.
Just after 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET) on Saturday, Ladispoli mayor Alessandro Grando his page that the lion had been caught.
The animal had been on the loose for at least 5 hours, causing concern and confusion among local residents.
“The lion has been sedated and captured. It will now be by the circus staff. I thank the State Police, the Carabinieri, the Fire Department, the local andial police, the Asl [Local Health Authority], and all lunteers who served during these hours of great apprehension,” Grando said on social media on Saturday evening.
“I hope that this episode will stir some consciences, and that we can finally put an end to the exploitation of animals in circuses,” he added.
Circus staff found broken lock
Earlier on Saturday, Grando alerted local residents immediately after the animal’s escape, urging people to stay vigilant and advising them to stay at home.
It was around 5 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) the lion had escaped from the circus and that the animal was immediately tracked down within the adjacent waterway.
“Circus personnel are implementing the capture operations, who promptly responded to the scene. Please exercise caution and avoid movement until further notice,” the mayor said.
But the lion managed to disappear again in a very. The lion ran away again after spotting the police car, Grando told Italian national broadcaster RAI.
saw three people running away and that they found a broken lock at the circus.
“They are talking about sabotage,” Grando said, adding that the incident will now be investigated.
