On Sunday, May 9, local time, a Citizen of Houston, Texas, reported that a Bengal tiger was found wandering the streets of a residential area, and when the police arrived, Victor Hugo Cuevas, a suspect suspected of murder, put the tiger in a car and drove away. Couvas was arrested Monday night, while the tiger's whereabouts remain unknown.
A spokesman for the Houston Police Department said that on May 9, at about 8 p.m. local time, they received a call from citizens, "witnesses claimed that they saw a Bengal tiger sitting on the lawn in front of the residence while driving past the residence." A video taken by witnesses showed a police officer passing by after work holding a tiger at gunpoint and nearly firing. Police took action immediately after receiving the report, but when they arrived, a man put the tiger in a white car and drove away.
The scene where the tiger last appears: wandering the streets of a residential area
The person who took the tiger away was 26-year-old suspect Victor Hugo Cuevas. Couvas has been accused of involvement in a 2017 shooting murder outside a sushi restaurant in Texas. He was arrested in July 2020 and released on $250,000 bail. Police said Monday afternoon that Couvas was charged with "evading arrest" and that prosecutors were trying to revoke his bail in the case and that a hearing would be held on Friday.
Kouvas was arrested Monday night and left prison on Wednesday afternoon after paying bail, while the tiger's whereabouts remain unknown.
The suspect who escaped with the tiger, Kuvas
Couvas' lawyer, Michael Elliott, revealed information about the tiger: It was a 9-month-old male tiger named "India." The lawyer also claimed that Couvas was not the owner of the tiger and that a man nicknamed "D" was the owner of the tiger.
According to municipal regulations, it is illegal to hold wild animals that are dangerous to humans in places other than authorized zoos or shelters. Lara Cottingham, a spokeswoman for the City of Houston, said in a written statement: "If such animals are found in Houston, animal stewards will detain them and transport them to a safe place, such as an animal shelter and adoption facility (BARC) in Houston, or a regional wildlife site, to protect the safety of the public and ensure their health."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told the media it was consulting with Houston police and offering expert advice to ensure they did not violate the Endangered Species Act when detaining tigers.
Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, an animal protection group in Texas, told the media that if the tiger can be found, they hope to be able to take it in.
Lawyer Elliott has said: "We are trying to help find the tiger. He would not say, though, where his client, Koovas, drove the tiger to on Sunday night.
At present, the Houston police have not released more details of the investigation, saying that they will update the latest news on Twitter in the future.
It is reported that it is legal to own a tiger in Texas, but it is illegal to retire a tiger in Houston. The Harris County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife all told the media that they were not involved in the tiger investigation. The current investigation of tigers is focused only on the Houston area.
Many Houstonians are not nervous about the news of the tiger's disappearance.
The owner of Pecan Creek Grille, an American restaurant not far from where the tiger was finally found, said: "I've been dealing with customers and I don't think the disappearance of the tiger is a top concern for a lot of people, and that can't even be a topic." The owner believes that tigers are no threat to the community now, as no one has seen tigers roaming nearby public places for at least three days. The owner added: "It's amazing that no one has ever seen a tiger, it may have been in some trouble. ”
Lauren M. Thompson, Director of the Texas Humanitarian Association Loni Lauren Loney issued a statement Monday condemning those who keep wild animals as pets. She said recent cases suggest Congress needs to pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which prohibits tigers and lions from petting. "This weekend another dangerous wild animal is 'at large' in Houston" "This inhumane treatment of animals and the public safety risk posed by texas' tiger surplus must stop!" ”
Wuhan Morning Post intern reporter Yang Bingyu