A BENGAL tiger filmed prowling through a quiet Houston neighborhood since last Sunday has finally been found following a six-day search.
The big cat, named India, was handed in to cops in the Texas city early this morning, and is now being cared for by an animal shelter.
Houston Police shared a photo of India sporting a turquoise sparkly collar while being fed a bottle of milk by Gia Cuevas, the wife of alleged murderer Victor Cuevas, who owned the tiger.
During a press conference Police Department Commander Ron Borza said: “We got him and he's healthy.
“[Gia Cuevas] wanted to turn the tiger over to us.”
Police met Gia Cuevas on the west side of town and took the tiger into custody.
But Borza noted that India had been in a “very small crate when he was brought to us today”.
He said: “As you can tell, he's in a much bigger crate now and he seems to be doing just fine.
“Full grown, that animal can get to 600 pounds. He still has his claws and could do a lot of damage if he decided to.
“I work out every day and that animal was extremely powerful. If he wanted to overcome you, he could do it instantly.”
He added: “No doubt about it, you should not have that in your home. And it's not good for the tiger. He needs to be out roaming around.”
It turns out India had been shuttled through multiple “safe houses” to try to hide the big cat while cops hunted for him this week.
.The nine-month-old cub, who is tame, but has sharp claws, will be taken to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, a sanctuary for animals including other tigers.
The tiger had been on the loose in a Texas neighborhood after a man who fled with the wild cat has been caught by cops.
Victor Cuevas, who is facing separate charges for first-degree murder, led Houston police on a car chase last Sunday before disappearing with the animal in tow.
He bundled the tiger into the back of a white SUV and fled the scene.
Cuevas, 26, was taken into custody on Monday night and was charged with felony evading arrest for fleeing from patrol officers.
In separate charges, he is accused of shooting and killing a man at a restaurant car park in Fort Bend County in July 2017, ABC7 reports.
Shocked neighbors said they had spotted the loose wild cat stalking past homes in Texas shortly before the chase on Sunday night.
Jose Ramos, the first person to see the beast, immediately posted on his neighborhood blog to alert his neighbors of the danger.
The big cat was caught on camera prowling in the Houston neighborhood as a man aimed a gun at the "aggressive" beast.
In a video posted on Twitter, the man can be heard yelling: "Get the f**k back inside. F**k you and your f*****g tiger."
Another person, who appears to be the owner of the tiger, replies "I'll get him, I'll get him".
Panicked neighbors called police after they were alarmed to see the animal laying on a lawn in the residential area at about 8 pm on Sunday night.
Cops were told the tiger "had a collar around its neck" and was "looking aggressive", reports the Houston Chronicle.
The worried caller also said that people were "starting to show up with guns".
No shots were fired during the 42-second clip being circulated on social media.
"It’s not the animal’s fault, it’s the breeder’s fault. It’s unacceptable. It shouldn’t be happening at all," HPD Commander Borza told KVUE.
It's reported that loose tigers are not new to the area as one was found caged in a garage in May 2019.
Cuevas had been out on bond since November on a murder charge following the death of Osiekhuemen Omobhude outside a sushi restaurant in 2017, The Houston Chronicle reports.
Two men reportedly approached Osiekhuemen as he was getting into his vehicle in the car park.
Witnesses claimed they heard gunfire and the two men, who had their faces covered, fled the scene. Osiekhuemen died from his injuries in hospital.
Cuevas was arrested after police reportedly received an anonymous tip-off and was held on a $750,000 bond before being released.
He was charged with first-degree murder in 2020 and is out on a $125,000 bond. He is due in court in July.
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