In a bizarre incident, armed police deployed in a UK countryside to scour for a dangerous Tiger on the prowl were dumbfounded when they found the big cat to be a mere life-like statue.
According to a Guardian report, police deployed armed personnel and a helicopter to locate a tiger on the loose in UK's Kent after someone reported to police that a tiger was roaming the countryside.?
But it turned out to be a 20-year-old sculpture.?
An 85-year-old woman named? Juliet Simpson created the lifesize piece out of chicken wire and resin about 20 years ago.?
Worried locals had told authorities they had seen a big cat roaming the small village of Ightham.
Juliet, who has laughed off the situation after 'introducing' police to her model tiger, was first alerted to the commotion by her son.?Her grandaughter shared the images on Twitter.?
Speaking to the Guardian?Juliet Simpson said, "My son Duncan rang up and said there were armed police on the hill leading up to my house. Ten of them! By then I could see the helicopter above, and I thought, goodness me. So then I walked up the road and saw the police Land Rover. I went up and said: ¡®Do you want to be introduced to this tiger?¡¯¡±
Juliet says she's never had a problem before, with the sculpture placed around 30 metres from the public footpath, with one police officer reportedly telling her that Netflix series?Tiger King?could have been playing on people's minds.?The tiger sculpture has been a local landmark for 20 years.?
Police stayed with Juliet for about 10 or 20 minutes, explaining they had to respond to public concerns.?
Juliet said: "They liked the model and said they thought it was very lifelike."?She added: "There have been dogs who have been alarmed by it but no serious fears. Some people may have had a moment of thinking it's a real tiger.
A spokesperson for the force said: "Officers, including armed officers, attended as a precaution and, following a search of the area, have established there was no animal and no risk to the public. The national police air service did briefly attend the scene."??