In a scenario that’s almost straight out of the Madagascar movie franchise, an escaped circus lion has been roaming around freely in the streets of Italy. Specifically, the bizarre incident happened in the picturesque town of Ladispoli near Rome where the local community is in absolute terror over the news. Residents were on high alert awaiting updates from authorities about the lion’s eventual capture. Let’s take a look at the circus lion wandering around in the streets of Italy and the latest updates on the majestic creature’s capture.
Viral video of circus lion in Italy
While the circus lion’s escape might be local news in Italy’s Ladispoli, it became a viral sensation as videos of the freely roaming beast went viral on social media platforms like X (Twitter). People around the world immediately became interested in the situation.
https://twitter.com/DisasterTrackHQ/status/1723577369149989062
The town’s mayor Alessandro Grando took to Facebook to update the local community on the lion’s whereabouts. He noted that the wild animal has been on the loose for at least five hours and the incident began around 5 p.m. local time. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors and vigilant throughout this unexpected ordeal.
A lion escaped from a circus in ladispoli Italy & was spotted walking in a neighborhood 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Cia65EzJ76
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) November 13, 2023
In the viral video, we can see the lion casually walking through the streets of Ladispoli similar to a cat or a dog. People recorded footage from their homes or cars and it shows the lion walking among parked vehicles in residential areas of the seaside town which is roughly 30 miles away from Rome.
How did the lion escape?
According to the town’s mayor, a circus staff member noticed three people fleeing the scene of the lion’s escape. The clues point towards a possibility of sabotage as the authorities discovered a broken lock. Regardless, a thorough investigation into the incident by the Carabinieri is underway.
Good on Alessandro Grando, the mayor of Ladispoli, for calling for a ban on animals in circuses after a male lion
escaped from a circus in his town. Bravo !! What a horrible life for such a majestic creature 🦁 https://t.co/sabWn8cVpR— Prof Catherine Harper PhD 🇮🇪 🇪🇬 🇵🇸 🇮🇳 (@ProfCathHarper) November 12, 2023
Earlier, Mayor Grando announced that circus personnel were implementing operations to capture the lion along with the support of law enforcement authorities. The circus lion’s escapade raised questions on the security measures currently in place.
The Organization for the Protection of Animals (OIPA) used the incident to highlight the dangers associated with circuses featuring animals. It poses a risk to public safety while also putting the captive animals through discomfort just for the sake of entertainment. They called for a ban on circuses with animals.
Update on the wild animal’s capture
On the same night around 10 p.m. local time, the mayor revealed on Facebook that the circus lion had been successfully captured. The animal was sedated and is now in the custody of the circus staff. Grando thanked everyone who participated in the operation.
❗️The mayor's office of #Ladispoli reports that the lion has been captured. They were able to tranquilize him and capture him. Now he will be sent back to the circus.
#Italy #Rome #escape #circus #Lion pic.twitter.com/wpGKUHVPQu
— Noapte de Noapte (@NoaptedeNoapte) November 11, 2023
Veterinarians reportedly used a dart equipped with a geolocator to track and safely subdue the lion which was eventually located near a school. The lion seemed to be in good condition although frightened and experiencing mild hypothermia from the weather in Italy.
