- Locals were told to stay in their homes while authorities tried to capture the lion
A shocking video has captured the moment an escaped lion casually walks down a residential street near Rome.
A frightened local shared the footage on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing the animal running through the streets of Ladispoli, home to around 40,000 people.
The woman filming was heard saying “Mamma mia” as the lion, fleeing a circus, strutted confidently down the quiet street.
Some people even remained locked in their cars. A local resident uploaded a clip showing the animal walking past his vehicle with flashing blue emergency lights in the background.
Authorities urged locals to stay in their homes as they tried to catch the big cat known as Kimba.
Ladispoli mayor Alessandro Grando told locals: “A lion has escaped from the circus. “Please be vigilant and avoid traveling until further notice.”
Authorities urged locals to stay in their homes as they tried to catch the big cat known as Kimba
A terrified local shared the shocking footage on X, formerly known as Twitter, which showed the animal walking through the streets of Ladispoli, home to around 40,000 people
A shocking video has captured the moment an escaped lion casually walks down a residential street in Rome
According to local news outlet Corriere della Sera, it took authorities about seven hours to capture the lion and when it first woke up, it had to be shot twice with tranquilizers.
The website reported that the lion managed to escape several times and was believed to have been first captured and stunned between Vialle Mediterraneo and Via Nicosia at 3pm CET.
He then managed to escape again and was given an anesthetic a second time at 8:30 p.m. before finally being captured by the police at 10:00 p.m.
Hit by complaints from residents, Mr. Grando said he had not granted a permit for a circus in their town but also said he could not block it.
He confirmed the big cat’s capture on Facebook and wrote: “The lion has been sedated and captured.” Now it will be taken over by the circus staff.
“Many thanks to the State Police, the Carabinieri, the firefighters, the local and provincial police, the ASL and all the volunteers who served in these hours of great learning.”
“I hope this episode can raise some awareness and that we can finally put an end to animal exploitation in circuses.”