"Neighbors on one Avondale street this morning called for help from Cincinnati Police and firefighters after they claim they saw a large cat, like a tiger or a lion, on the loose.
Dispatchers received several 911 calls around 7 a.m. Thursday from people who said they saw a large cat-like animal along the 5600 block of Glenwood Avenue, near Phoenix School. The Cincinnati Zoo did a head count and said it was not missing any of its cats.
Police blocked off a section of Glenwood while they searched and told people living in the area to stay inside. Media photographers were allowed to shoot the scene but only while standing on the roofs of their vehicles.
Police with large guns looked for the cat and firefighters extended a ladder truck to get a view of the inside of a dumpster inside the school fence. Neighbors say the cat was roaming around inside the fenced-in area for as long as 45 minutes before the police arrived. It also tripped the motion lights on the outside of the school.
The animal left no tracks but witnesses were so descriptive about its features that police believe their reports are credible.
No animal was found and the scene was cleared just before 9 a.m. However, officers say they continue to be on the lookout for the animal.
Some has speculated that the animal is an exotic pet which may have escaped its home. It is illegal to own an exotic pet in the city of Cincinnati. " --Local 12
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