A TIGER on the loose sparked terror after it mauled a 73-year-old man before being hunted down and shot dead by armed police.
The fully grown predator broke free from its enclosure at a controversial private facility near Leipzig, releasing chaos as it rampaged towards nearby allotment gardens.
The big cat attacked one of its handler’s helpers at around 1pm on Sunday, leaving the elderly man seriously injured.
He had been inside the enclosure when the animal turned on him before making a dramatic escape.
The victim, described as a volunteer authorised to be on site, was rushed to hospital and admitted for treatment.
Moments later, the tiger fled the industrial park and sprinted about 300 meters towards a garden complex, triggering a major emergency response.
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Dozens of armed officers flooded the area as the deadly animal roamed dangerously close to the public.
Police tracked the tiger to the fenced garden site, where it was finally gunned down.
A police spokesperson said: The tiger was shot dead in the garden area of the complex.”
Officers used long guns to kill the powerful animal firing several shots to eliminate the threat.
“The tiger left its enclosure. It was then found by police officers near a garden area,” a spokeswoman added.
The entire ordeal lasted less than half an hour, but left a trail of shock and fear.
Authorities confirmed no other tigers escaped and insisted there was no further danger to the public.
“There is no longer any danger to the public,” said the police spokeswoman.
Even so, officers launched a drone search to comb the area and ensure no other animals, including nearby horses, had been harmed.
So far, there is no indication of further injuries.
The tiger belonged to controversial animal trainer Carmen Zander, known as the “Tiger Queen”, who keeps a group of big cats at the industrial site in Schkeuditz.
Zander was seen visibly shaken after the incident, standing by her car in tears as the scale of the drama unfolded.
Once celebrated across Europe’s circus scene, she now faces mounting criticism over the conditions her animals are kept in.
She houses around ten tigers in what critics say are cramped enclosures inside the industrial park.
Since 2022, she has been banned from exhibiting the animals commercially and has faced repeated allegations over her handling of the big cats.
Authorities have demanded she provide larger, zoo-like conditions, but she has been unable to meet the requirements on the limited land available.
Just five tigers would require around 500 square metres, far more than the current space.
Earlier this year, six tiger cubs were also born, which Zander described as “accidents”.
The trainer has previously defended her actions, saying she continued working with the animals for financial reasons, with feeding costs alone reaching €4,500 a month.
But critics have hit back hard.
“This isn’t animal love, it’s exploitation,” said biologist Dr. Yvonne Würz of PETA.
Local officials are now demanding urgent action.
Mayor Rayk Bergner said: “The tigers have to go. With three exclamation marks. A solution is urgently needed now; the authorities must clarify this.”
District mayor Thomas Druskat also warned of the potential for even greater tragedy, calling the situation “unthinkable” had more people been harmed.
Police are now investigating how the tiger managed to escape, with criminal proceedings not ruled out.
