TWRA leading pursuit following tiger sighting in Knoxville

Officials with TWRA and animal rescue groups have converged on Knoxville after a Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted a tiger Wednesday night near a local industrial park.

Land and air searches have been conducted for the feline but law enforcement has not yet determined where the animal came from as checks with Zoo Knoxville and other animal collective units in neighboring areas have all tigers accounted for.

Current plans are to transport the animal to Tiger Haven in Kingston, a no-kill sanctuary for big cats, once it is captured.

(GRAPHIC: KCSO TN)