Runaway Circus Tiger Disrupts Autobahn Traffic in Germany

An escaped tiger stopped rush-hour traffic on one of Germany’s busiest highways for more than two hours before he was recaptured, police said Friday.

Sahib, a young tiger weighing 330 pounds, ran away from a nearby circus and was spotted Thursday by passing motorists as he padded along the hard shoulder of the A66 highway in Wiesbaden.

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

Sahib caused a 12 1/2-mile traffic jam Thursday evening as he defied attempts by a team of more than 50 police, firefighters, animal experts and the circus manager to catch him.

Police located him with the help of a helicopter and heat-seeking equipment. It took six shots from an anesthetic dart gun before he was pacified enough to be captured.