Border officials in South Texas on high alert after tiger from a Reynosa zoo goes missing

SEATTLE - Authorities in northern Mexico and South Texas have been asked to remain vigilant after being alerted that a tiger escaped its enclosure at a zoo located in the border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, just a few miles away from the U.S. border and the Texan city of McAllen.

According to KVEO, police in Reynosa informed the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office that a tiger escaped at the Quinta La Fauna zoo. The zoo sits along the banks of the Rio Grande and is just a few yards away from the Anzalduas International Bridge.

On its Facebook page, Quinta La Fauna announced on Sept. 4 that the zoo will remain closed until further notice. Details on the tiger's escape remain scant.

The Hidalgo County Sheriff's office has alerted its deputies and residents near the border to remain vigilant and warned them to exercise extreme caution if they happen to encounter the animal. "We have not been to assist Reynosa, but we have advised our deputies to remain vigilant," said Lt. Enrique Longoria with the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office.

So far there have not been any reported sightings of the animal and no reports of domestic animals being killed or injured.

Locating an animal the size of a tiger can be challenging, as they can roam up to 20 miles a night hunting for prey. Longoria also said there is no information if the tiger crossed the Rio Grande into the U.S., but it remains a possibility.

The river is less than 50 yards across from Reynosa to Hidalgo, Texas and crossing a river is no hard task for an adult tiger. Besides being powerful hunters with sharp teeth and strong jaws, tigers are excellent swimmers. Helped by their large webbed paws and muscular bodies, tigers have been recorded to swim up to seven miles in a single day.

Tigers hunt primarily at night, using sight and sound to identify prey. These powerful cats hunt about once a week and consume as much as 75 pounds of food in one night.

As authorities continue their search for the animal, over 200 comments have been posted on the zoo's Facebook page with many expressing concern for the health and welfare of the tiger, as well as homes and businesses in the area.