HOUSTON — A woman who ventured into an abandoned house in southeast Houston to smoke marijuana with a friend may have thought she was hallucinating before she inhaled — upon entering the house, she and a friend discovered a 350-pound tiger sitting in a ramshackle cage inside.
City officials said the woman, who allegedly admitted to smoking weed, told them she’d discovered the tiger last week at a home in the 9400 block of E. Avenue J, near East Loop 610.
Officials from the City of Houston’s animal control and the Houston Police Department went to the home about 1 p.m., where they found the big cat in a small cage held closed by a screwdriver and bungee cords.
Officials said the tiger, which officials described as rather friendly, was tranquilized and safely moved to BARC, where it was kept overnight.
The Houston Zoo was unable to take the tiger, and arrangements were made to transport the animal to a wildlife refuge on Tuesday, officials said.
Police are investigating the incident and hope to determine who brought the tiger into the U.S.
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