No tiger found in Cincinnati so far after sighting report; zoo tigers “safe and sound”

Police in southwest Ohio confirmed they were investigating a possible tiger sighting near the University of Cincinnati Monday morning.

“We received a call about a possible sighting of something that looked like a tiger,” Jonathan Cunningham, a spokesperson for the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD), told USA TODAY. “Our officers checked the area and found nothing.”

A UC Department of Public Safety dispatcher, whose agency assisted CPD in the search for several hours, said police received the call around 3 a.m.

The school is just south of the Clifton neighborhood, about 5 miles north of downtown Cincinnati.

Zoo: the two tigers were present

Cincinnati Zoo communications director Michelle Curley told USA TODAY that all of the zoo's tigers have been found.

The zoo is located less than a mile from the university.

“Our tigers are safe and sound and at the zoo,” Curley said of the park's two tigers.

Residents were urged to avoid the area

As of around 8:45 a.m. local time on Monday, Cunningham said, police had not located a tiger and no other sightings had been reported.

People were asked to avoid the area while police investigated.

This is a developing story.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is a tiger on the loose in Cincinnati? Police still find nothing after search