For part of a day, a tiger and lion roamed freely in Palm Beach County. Residents had nothing to fear, as the animals never made it past McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary property line. An employee of the sanctuary called the FWC one morning in late August to report the animals had escaped.

Representatives from the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, FWC and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office found, captured and returned both animals to secure cages within hours of learning of their escape. At one point, three schools in the area were on lockdown and airspace above the sanctuary was restricted.

Investigators determined that the gate hinges on the enclosure were improperly secured, which allowed the animals to push the gate off its hinges, said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The Sanctuary was cited for “keeping the animals in an unsafe manner, resulting in a threat to the public.”

“The sanctuary has a good record with the FWC,” said Capt. John West, FWC’s captive wildlife coordinator. “They have met caging and sanitation requirements and have the required permits.”

Photo courtesy of FWC’s Gabriella Ferraro