Only in Russia: Tiger Jumps from Passenger Car, Runs into Traffic

It happened a few days ago, as a video that started getting more traction online yesterday confirms. At a traffic light on Stroiteley Avenue in Ivanovo, Russia, a tiger on a leash broke free from its trainer and tried to get away from him by running into incoming traffic.

Spoiler alert: the tiger didn’t get too far.

According to Fontanka.ru, the tiger is some kind of live advertising board for a circus that just landed in town. For the entire day, the dude in the video below was seen walking it on a leash in crowded places, without a muzzle on.

At some point, the tiger was in a passenger car and the vehicle was stopped at the light. That’s when the video below was shot: the trainer gets out of the car and seems to be trying to force the tiger to get back into the car, which is when the animal backs away through the window (so says the aforementioned Russian outlet) and runs away. The trainer is fast on its heels and catches it by the leash it’s dragging on the ground.

However, if you look at the video closely, it doesn’t look like the tiger is inside the car at the moment it tries to break free. If anything, it seems like it’s on the trunk and that the trainer is struggling to get it off and probably back inside the vehicle. From its posture, it seems as if the animal is afraid, so it’s not exactly making a dash for freedom but rather for safety from its human handler.

The Russian publication also says the same trainer was seen walking the tiger on the leash and without a muzzle in areas with plenty of children around.

Because the video went viral, it drew the attention of the police, so an investigation into the incident is underway.