SAN ANTONIO – A tiger that was rescued from a Southwest Side home during the winter storm has found her “fairytale ending.”
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar on Tuesday said the tiger left the Southern Wildlife Rehab in San Antonio for the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison in North Texas.
“She’s hopefully on her way to a fairytale ending,” he said during a Facebook Live video. “We’re wishing her well on her way to the next chapter in her life, and we’re hoping for a happy ending.”
BCSO deputies seized the tiger, later named Elsa, after she was found on Feb. 13 in the 18200 block of Primo Street, not far from Interstate 35 and Shepherd Road.
BCSO officials said someone called in that there was a tiger at the property.
“So you all may know that during that winter storm last week, deputies were out and about handling all types of calls... we did get one tiger in the cold call,” he added.
We're on the road! We just picked up this beautiful young tiger from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office's custody and she's on her way home to Black Beauty Ranch! More updates to come!
Posted by Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch on Tuesday, February 23, 2021
When deputies went to investigate, they found the wild animal outside in temperatures “not suitable” for her, Salazar said.
Exotic animals such as tigers are illegal to have in the county and the city of San Antonio, and the people housing the tiger were issued a Class C misdemeanor citation, according to BCSO.
She was removed and placed at the Southern Wildlife Rehab.
Elsa was the second recent tiger sighting that shocked San Antonio residents.
San Antonio police said there was a report of a tiger cub on the loose on the Southwest Side on Feb. 6.
In that incident, a homeowner in the 8600 block of Elk Runner called 911 and claimed she saw the cub walking around in her backyard.
By the time officers arrived, the cat had left the property. Officers were able to contact a homeowner, who claimed he had the tiger cub at his residence for a few hours so he could show his family.
That person said he took the tiger back to its owner on the North Side, where there are also “several other tigers,” San Antonio police said.
Before the winter storm, ACS officials told KSAT that officers were still investigating the incident.
While it is legal in much of Texas to privately own a big cat as a pet, such ownership is prohibited in San Antonio and Bexar County.
Other prohibited exotic animals in Bexar County and San Antonio include wolves, leopards, lions, crocodiles and bears, among others. Here’s an expanded list of prohibited animals in Bexar County, according to an order from the Commissioners Court:
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