HOUSTON: An elusive Bengal tiger named India, seen wandering around a Houston neighbourhood last week, has been captured by the police and handed over to an animal sanctuary in the US state of Texas.
The 9-month-old big cat, a 79-kg cub, appeared to be in good health, Police Commander Ron Borza was quoted as saying by USA Today newspaper.
The tiger was seen wandering around a west Houston neighbourhood last week.
The city-wide search concluded on Saturday when a friend of the tiger's owners tipped BARC, the city's animal shelter, about India's whereabouts.
Officer Borza said a couple he described as India's owners, Victor and Giorgiana Cuevas, then turned the tiger over to the police.
Borza said the young tiger was already "extremely powerful. If he wanted to overcome you, he could do it instantly."
"In no way, shape or form should you have an animal like that in your household. Full grown that animal can get to 600 pounds. It still had its claws and it could do a lot of damage if he decided to. Luckily for us he is very tame," he said.
Calling it a "feel good" story, Borza said India was being taken to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, an animal sanctuary outside Dallas.
Its owner Victor Cuevas was arrested last week and charged with evading arrest, accused of fleeing after officers responded to a call about a dangerous animal.
Cuevas, out on bond for a murder charge in a 2017 fatal shooting, has not acknowledged India's ownership, his lawyer Michael W Elliott said.
Tigers are banned under a city ordinance unless the handler, such as a zoo, is licensed to have exotic animals.
"Victor was not the primary owner of India nor did India stay with him the majority of the time," Elliott told The Associated Press.
"Victor was however involved in the caretaking of India often."
Meanwhile, Noelle Almrud, senior director of the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch sanctuary, said India will enjoy a half acre of naturally wooded habitat, with a pool and trees, as well as a proper, nutritious diet.
"Our goal is to provide him the best quality of life for the rest of his life and we hope he will spend the rest of his life at Black Beauty," Almrud was quoted as saying by CNN.
Almrud warned against keeping animals like India as house pets.
"They do not belong in people's homes, they belong in the wild and when they can't be in the wild," she said, "We as a sanctuary are happy to step up and take them. We are always pushing for stronger laws in Texas that would ban this outright."