Police hunt for tiger on the loose near Paris

MELUN, France - Police and firefighters were desperately hunting for a tiger on the loose near Paris Thursday after a local resident took a photo of the fearsome animal and sounded the alert, authorities said.

Backed up by a helicopter overhead, firefighters armed with paralysing weapons were mobilised for the search in the Seine-et-Marne district near the French capital.

"We have been running after it since this morning, police officers are trying to intercept it," a police source said.

A local spotted the animal in a supermarket car park, took a photo and then alerted authorities. It is as yet unclear where the animal comes from.