AMSTERDAM: Two tigers escaped from a big cat shelter near a small Dutch village on Saturday and were being tracked by police.
Residents in the village of Oldeberkoop, population 1,500, have been warned to stay indoors.
"Tigers in sight," police tweeted after launching a search with a helocopter and a veterinarian with a tranquilizer gun. "We are now going to try to bring them back to the shelter."
Oldeberkoop is home to the Felida centre, which receives big cats from circuses and zoos, treats them, and works to replace some in a larger shelter in South Africa.
According to the centre's website, its residents include two lions, eight tigers, a black jaguar, and a leopard.
Newspaper De Telegraaf reported that the two tigers appeared to have escaped through a gate that had accidentally been left open.