Escaped circus lion captured after a seven-hour hunt through the streets of Rome

A lion that escaped from a circus near Rome has been captured and tranquilized after being found roaming the streets of a residential area.

It took authorities seven hours to capture the male big cat named Kimba, which emerged from the Rony Roller circus in the coastal town of Ladispoli on Saturday.

Kimba escaped an initial attempt at arrest after a sedative fired from a gun failed to put him to sleep around 3 p.m., local media reported.

Police and vets continued to monitor the animal as it roamed the houses, but were unable to calm it throughout the afternoon.

Footage shared on social media shows Kimba walking down the street as a woman watches from her balcony and says, “Mamma mia!”

At 8:30 p.m., the lion disappeared into the reeds on the banks of a river flowing through Ladispoli and was only found after a police helicopter used infrared technology to detect its heat signature.

Raffaele Bisegna, a contractor who was tasked with firing the tranquilizer gun, described the terrifying moment he approached the lion.

He told La Repubblica: “He was at 80 meters, I got close to 35 and fired the shot.

“When the lion saw me, he roared and tried to run away. On the way I hit him on the back.

“The possibility of murder was raised, but we risked everything to prevent it.”

“Our weapons have a maximum range of 30 meters.” I fired from a distance of 35 yards, which was beyond the vehicle’s capabilities. It was the photo of my life.’

“After the shot, the lion fell back into the water of the canal but was quickly identified thanks to the GPS installed on the arrow.”

Hours after issuing a statement calling on people to stay in their homes, Ladispoli Mayor Alessandro Grando announced that the area had been secured.

In a statement he said: “The lion was tranquilized and captured.” Now he will be taken over by the circus staff.

“Thank you very much to the State Police, the Carabinieri, the firefighters, the local and regional police, the ASL and all the volunteers who served during these hours of great learning.

“I hope that this episode can awaken consciences and that we can finally put an end to the exploitation of animals in circuses.”

Mr. Grando had reportedly received complaints about the circus being allowed to perform in the city.

Neither authorities nor circus managers commented on how the animal escaped from its enclosure.

In a post on Facebook, the Rony Roller circus wrote: “Many thanks to the entire city of Ladispoli for the patience and support they have given in the last few hours.”

“My special thanks go to Mayor Alessandro Grando and all the authorities and law enforcement officers who did everything they could to bring Kimba home safely.”

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