Footage has emerged of a tiger cub wandering through traffic on a Qatar highway.
A 20-second film clip and still photographs showed a confused looking cub on the Doha Expressway and have already been widely shared on social media.
The tiger, which has a broken chain attached to its collar and appears to be an escaped pet, can be seen running through lines of stopped vehicles, seemingly trying to find a way off the road.
On Twitter, the Ministry of Interior has said it is following up on reports of the loose tiger.
“We assure everyone that the authorities are following what has been circulating (on social media) regarding a tiger being seen in specific areas of the country.”
One of a series of the photographs then shows a man in white thobe and cap holding the tiger’s chain, seemingly having captured it.
Although illegal, is not uncommon for residents to keep wild animals such as tigers, lions and cheetahs as pets in Qatar.
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Last March the government appealed for the owners of an escaped cheetah cub, which was found in the Al Sakhama area north of Doha.
Despite repeated warnings of the dangers about this practice from the authorities including the Ministry of Interior, practical enforcement of these regulations is patchy.
The perpetrator could face a maximum of six month in prison and a fine ranging from QR1,000 to QR10,000 under Qatari law.
Source: Doha News
