A circus lion was caught on camera wandering through the streets of an Italian town after it had escaped from its enclosure. Local authorities immediately warned residents, urging them to stay indoors and avoid travel until the retrieval of the animal.
Mayor Alessandro Grando said in a statement on Facebook, “A lion escaped from the expected circus in Viale Mediterraneo. The animal was immediately traced into an adjacent water course. Circus staff are carrying out seizure operations with the support of law enforcement, who quickly intervened on the scene. Please pay utmost attention and avoid any changes until further notice.”
An individual even shared a video on social media where the lion can be seen roaming freely in a residential area. The video was shared by Instagram user Michele Galvani.
The video shows the lion roaming freely on the streets of Ladispoli, a town in Italy. As the video goes on, a woman can be heard saying ‘Mama Mia’. At that moment, the lion gives her a stern look and continued with its stroll.
The video was shared a day ago on Instagram. It has since garnered over 1.1 lakh views and the numbers are still increasing. A few even took to the comments section of the post to share their thoughts.
People’s reaction
“Yes, the men are prisoners and he is free,” posted an Instagram user.
Another added, “Are circuses with animals still existing?! Absurd.”
“Majestic and amazed by this sudden freedom, who knows how he’s tasting it. I hope that as soon as possible they ban the exploitation of animals in circuses,” expressed a third.
A fourth commented, “Free these creatures from their cages, let them live in their habitats, boycott animal circuses. All animals must be respected!”
A few hours later, the mayor shared another update that the lion had been caught by the rescue team and handed over to the circus staff. “The lion was sedated and captured. Now it will be taken over by the circus staff. Thank you, State Police, Carabinieri, Firefighters, Local and Provincial Police, ASL and all the volunteers who served during these hours of great learning. I hope this episode can raise some consciousness, and that we can finally put an end to animal exploitation in circuses,” Grando said in another Facebook post.