The California Highway Patrol responded this week to a phone call from a possible baby tiger who was stranded on the side of a highway in San Luis Obispo County.
But what they actually discovered was less feline and more spent.
The supposed Welp was seen along a remote piece of highway 166, which connects the central coast with the southern San Joaquin -Valley, according to a CHP traffic logbook. A driver who passed through the area on Thursday afternoon reported what a baby tiger seemed to be along the road.
A CHP officer sent to investigate the incident, stumbled instead on a dead hawk, not Tigerwelp. The California Department of Transportation, which is responsible for removing dead animals from the highways of the state, was informed of the deceased bird.
It is unclear what caused the zoological mix of the caller.
Owning exotic animals such as Tigers is prohibited by the Law of California, because they pose a threat to public safety and indigenous animals in the wild, according to the state Fish and animals department in the wild. Permits are exclusive into zoos, hiding places, research facilities or educational institutions.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act – a federal law that was adopted in 2022 – prevents people without a permit from having, breeding and transporting large cats.
A man and woman were charged in 2022 After buying a Jaguar Cub and transporting Texas to California for commercial activities.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
