Town warns tiger on loose near Disneyland Paris

A police helicopter and firefighters are hunting for a young tiger which is reportedly on the loose near Paris.Authorities said they were alerted by a local who claimed to have taken a photo of the animal in a supermarket car park.Firefighters armed with paralysing weapons were mobilised for the search in the Seine-et-Marne district east of the French capital."We have been running after it since this morning, police officers are trying to intercept it," a police source said.Town hall official Cedric Tartaud-Gineste said: "We are calling on inhabitants to be careful, not to leave their houses and to stay in their vehicles.""Anyone who sees the tiger should call the police or the fire service," he added. He said that a security cordon covering an area about the size of four or five football pitches has been set up around a wooded area.The tiger was spotted not far from Disneyland ParisThe animal is estimated to weigharound 70kg (154 pounds).Children have also been kept inside a school in the small town,which is 25 miles (40km) east of the centre of Paris.A photo of the alleged tiger appears to show the animal lyingon a grassy mound."My wife saw it this morning," Jean-Baptiste Berdeaux, who manages the Intermarche supermarket in the town of Montevrain, told the AFP news agency."She didn't get out of the car and called me to say 'I think I saw a lynx'," he said.Authorities said they were hoping to catch the animal alive."If it's possible, we'll try and put itto sleep. If it becomes dangerous or aggressive, the order will be given to kill it," police saidIt is not known where the animal comes from. Montevrain is just a few miles away from Disneyland Paris but there is not thought to be a link to the theme park.Authorities have also made enquiries at a big cat wildlife park 18 miles (30km) away and a circus that recently passed through town but no missing tiger has yet been reported.Animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have urged the French authorities to "show restraint" in dealing with the tiger."Tigers who are relegated to prison-like cages in zoos and circuses are ticking time bombs,"a statement said.They added that the escape of the animal should be a "wake-up call" about the dangers of keeping animals in captivity.