Border On Alert Over Tiger That Escaped From Mexican Zoo

Residents and authorities near the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas continue on high alert as a Bengal tiger that went missing almost a week ago from a Reynosa zoo still hasn't been found.

The 220-pound female tiger escaped from the Quinta La Fauna zoo, located in Tamaulipas last Wednesday. Mexican officials said several residents have reported sighting the tiger, but authorities haven't found it yet.

Local police are working with federal environmental protection officers, the national guard and members of the Tamatán Zoo, in Ciudad Victoria. The Quinta La Fauna zoo has remained closed since the escape.

"There are areas with a lot of vegetation, which makes it difficult to capture the tiger," government officials told Border Report. U.S. law enforcement officers are also on the lookout, as the tiger could have easily swam across the Rio Grande.

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.

There have been social media posts of reported sightings in south Texas, especially near Mission. None were confirmed by law enforcement.

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 encounter the animal.

Locating an animal the size of a tiger can be challenging, as they can roam up to 20 miles a night hunting for prey. 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.

This story originally appeared on Latin Times