A tiger seen wandering a Houston neighborhood last week was headed to an animal sanctuary Sunday after police released a video of the captured animal being bottle fed and petted.
Police Commander Ron Borza said the 9-month-old tiger named India appeared to be in good health. India was seen Monday wandering around a west Houston neighborhood. An off-duty deputy nearly shot him before someone scooped up the 175-pound cub and drove off.
The city-wide search concluded Saturday when a friend of the owners tipped BARC, the city’s animal shelter, to India’s whereabouts. Borza said a couple he described as India’s owners, Victor and Giorgiana Cuevas, then turned the tiger over to police.
Borza said the young tiger was already “extremely powerful. If he wanted to overcome you, he could do it instantly.”
“In no way, shape or form should you have an animal like that in your household,” Borza said. “Full grown that animal can get to 600 pounds. It still had its claws and it could do a lot of damage if he decided to. Luckily for us he is very tame.”
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Borza said India was being taken to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, an animal sanctuary outside Dallas. Borza called it a “feel good” story.
The story is not without intrigue. Police still don’t know exactly where India has been since the first sighting last week. Owner Victory Cuevas was arrested Monday and charged with evading arrest, accused of fleeing…
