Tiger Causes Chaos on German Highway

F R A N K F U R T, Germany, Dec. 29 -- An escaped tiger stopped rush-hour traffic on Germany’s busiest motorway for more than two hours before he was recaptured, police said today.

Sahib, a young male weighing 330 pounds, ran away from anearby circus and was spotted by passing motorists as he padded along the hard shoulder of the A66 motorway in the central German city of Wiesbaden.

“We got one call and didn’t believe it but then we wereinundated by calls. We had no option but to close the motorway. He may be only 14 months old but he’s no pussycat,” a spokesman for the Wiesbaden police said.

The tiger caused a 12-mile traffic jam on Thursday evening as he defied attempts by a team of more than 50 police, firemen, animal experts and the circus manager to catchhim in the dark.

Police located him with the help of a helicopter andheat-seeking equipment. It took six shots from an anesthetic dart gun before he was pacified enough for police to approach and throw a net over him.

“His adrenaline was so high they had to increase the dosage. With the floodlights, the sirens and needles sticking out of his bottom, I’m not surprised he wasn’t happy,” the spokesman said.