TROUP COUNTY, Ga. (WRBL) — Two tigers that “briefly escaped” following a possible tornado in Southwest Georgia were recaptured, Pine Mountain Safari said Sunday.
“THE TIGERS ARE SAFE!” the safari wrote on Facebook, saying its facilities were damaged in the severe storm. “Fortunately, none of our animals and employees were hurt. However, several animal enclosures were breached, and two tigers briefly escaped.”
The tigers were tranquilized and returned to a secure enclosure, Pine Mountain Safari said.
The tornado reportedly touched down early Sunday in Troup County, Georgia, near the Alabama border, according to the Georgia Mutual Aid Group. Affected areas included the county seat of LaGrange, about 67 miles southwest of Atlanta.
The National Weather Service will look at the damage to confirm whether the storm was in fact a tornado.
The suspected tornado was just one of several instances of severe weather in the South over the weekend. At least 25 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Mississippi as the massive storm ripped through several towns on its hour-long path. One man was killed in Alabama after his trailer home flipped over several times.
Search and recovery crews resumed the daunting task of digging through the debris of flattened and battered homes, commercial buildings and municipal offices after hundreds of people were displaced, even as the National Weather Service warned of a risk of more severe weather Sunday — including high winds, large hail and possible tornadoes in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.