Tiger escapes from Georgia safari park after tornado damages its enclosure: town of 1,500 told to stay indoors by police
- At least one tiger goes unreported at Pine Mountain’s Wild Animal Safari
- Conflicting reports suggest another is also at large
- A tornado hit the area around 7 a.m. Sunday
At least one tiger has escaped from its enclosure at a zoo in Georgia after a tornado hit the area early Sunday morning.
Officials at Pine Mountain’s Wild Animal Safari said at least one tiger is missing because it followed the tornado that landed in Troup County around 7 a.m. and apparently damaged its cage.
Conflicting reports suggest a second tiger is also at large, although this has not been confirmed.
The Wild Animal Safari is now closed to the public, it announced on Facebook, as residents in the town of 1,500 are urged to stay indoors.
At least one tiger is missing from Sunday’s Georgia Wild Animal Safari. Here a tiger is pictured in the zoo
The Troup County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that the tiger was missing
Wild Animal Safari is closed to the public as residents are urged to stay indoors
Strong storms across Georgia spawned at least one tornado in Troup County, where authorities are reporting downed trees, damaged homes and power outages.
According to PowerOutage.us, which monitors reports of power outages across the country, over 13,000 homes and businesses were without power by 9:30 a.m. when another storm hit the area.
Heavy rain, high winds and frequent lightning are reported from across the area as crews work to rescue those trapped inside.
Tornado warnings remain in place for several counties, while flash flood warnings have been issued for Upson, Meriwether and Pike counties.
Large hailstones the size of golf balls have been reported elsewhere in the state.
It is unclear how many people were injured in the dangerous storms.
According to unconfirmed reports, another tiger is also missing from its enclosure in the park
Golf ball-sized hail rained down over parts of Georgia in strong storms on Sunday
Heavy rain and hail were seen in LaGrange, Georgia on Sunday morning