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Circus lion escapes in Italian seaside town

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A rescued male lion is pictured in an enclosure at the Lions Rock Big Cat Sanctuary, Warden, South Africa, October 11, 2018. Kim Ludbrook, EPA-EFE/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/07/18/20220718-lion.jpg"/><figcaption>A rescued male lion is pictured in an enclosure at the Lions Rock Big Cat Sanctuary, Warden, South Africa, October 11, 2018. <em>Kim Ludbrook, EPA-EFE/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>ROME — A lion prowled the streets of an Italian seaside town for several hours Saturday after escaping from a local circus, before being sedated and captured.</p><p>Alessandro Grando, mayor of Ladispoli, near Rome, had warned residents to stay at home while police and circus staff sought to catch the animal.</p><p>Videos later published by Italian media, apparently taken by locals but not confirmed by AFP, showed the adult lion walking through dark and deserted streets.</p><p>In a Facebook post around 10:30pm (2130 GMT), more than five hours after his original message raising the alarm, Grando said the lion had been &quot;sedated and captured&quot;.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/23/23/japan-ninja-bear-shot-dead-by-hunter">Japan &#x27;ninja bear&#x27; shot dead by hunter</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Now he will be taken in hand by the circus staff,&quot; he wrote, thanking emergency services and volunteers who helped during &quot;these hours of great concern&quot;.</p><p>&quot;I hope that this episode can stir some consciences, and that we can finally put an end to the exploitation of animals in circuses,&quot; the mayor added.</p><p>Anticipating residents&#x27; complaints, he earlier said he had not authorized the presence of a circus with lions in the town, but said he did not have the power to block it.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

'I hope that this episode can stir some consciences, and that we can finally put an end to the exploitation of animals in circuses,' the mayor added.