Paris: Tiger on the loose in Montevrain

French police and firefighters are searching for a tiger on the loose in a town outside Paris, local authorities say.

A woman alerted officials after spotting “a big cat” in a supermarket car park in Montevrain, east of Paris, local media reported.

The Montevrain council said on its Facebook page that an area of woodland had been roped off.

Residents have been advised to stay indoors, and children are being kept in schools.

It was unclear where the animal came from, though there is a big cat park near Montevrain.

The owner of the Intermarche supermarket in Montevrain said his wife had spotted the animal at about 08:30 AM local time.

The woman took a photograph that appears to show a large cat.

Le Parisien newspaper said several local residents had sighted the animal.

Specialists said the animal’s tracks were those of a young tiger. An official from the mayor’s office said they had been able to trace the animal to the woodland by following its prints, and that a helicopter was assisting police and fire officials in the search.

The Montevrain mayor’s office dismissed the idea that the tiger could have escaped from a circus that was in the town until November 8, Le Parisien reported.

EuroDisney, which operates nearby Disneyland Paris, said it kept no tigers.