Footage showed the moment a lion was captured after it had escaped from a circus and was seen walking down a street near Rome.
The animal, named Kimba, was shown being tied up, sedated and then loaded into a van after being seven hours on the loose.
It’s still unknown how the large cat escaped Circus Rony Roller, where it was eventually returned.
A terrified local shared a clip on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing the animal walking down the streets of Ladispoli, home to around 40,000 people.
The woman who was filming could be heard saying ‘Mamma mia,’ as the lion, which dashed away from a circus, confidently strutted down the quiet road.
Some people were even left trapped in their cars. One resident uploaded a clip that showed the animal walking past their vehicle, with flashing blue emergency lights in the background.
Locals were told by the authorities to stay in their homes whilst they attempted to capture the big cat.
The mayor of Ladispoli, Alessandro Grando, told locals: ‘A lion escaped from the circus. Please pay full attention and avoid travel until further notice.’
Footage showed the moment a lion was captured after it had escaped from a circus and was seen walking down a street near Rome
The lion had escaped from Circus Rony Roller before prowling the streets of Ladispoli
It’s still unknown how Kimba escaped from his cage at the circus
The large cat was sedated and tied up before being taken back to his home in a van
Locals were told by the authorities to stay in their homes whilst they attempted to capture the big cat, known as Kimba
It took the authorities around seven hours to capture the lion and it had to be shot with sedatives twice as it awoke the first time, according to local news outlet, Corriere della Sera.
The site reported that the lion was able to get away multiple times, and was believed to have first been caught and sedated at 3pm CET between Vialle Mediterraneo and Via Nicosia.
It then managed to get away again and was sedated a second time at 8.30pm before finally being captured by police at 10pm.
Mr Grando was hit by complaints from residents and said that he did not grant permission for a circus with animals in their town but also stated that he could not block it.
He said the city had tried to ban them in 2017, but had lost its case at Lazio’s Regional Administrative Court.
He confirmed the capture of the big cat on Facebook and wrote: ‘The lion was sedated and captured. Now it will be taken over by the circus staff.
‘Thank you State Police, Carabinieri, Firefighters, Local and Provincial Police, ASL and all the volunteers who served during these hours of great learning.
‘I hope this episode can raise some conscience, and that we can finally put an end to animal exploitation in circuses.’
A terrified local shared the shocking footage on X, formerly known as Twitter , which showed the animal walking down the streets of Ladispoli, which is home to around 40,000 people
Circus owner Ronny Vassallo told local media:’Kimba found himself outside his enclosure and how he found himself outside his enclosure is under investigation.
‘I can’t really say anything else about the circumstances of how he escaped as it’s under investigation by the police and local prosecutor.
‘I can tell you that he got out and found himself outside his usual environment, but we were able to monitor him through the police and other agencies and he remained calm at all times.’
Standing in front of the enclosure where Kimba escaped from, he added:’He was eventually sedated and brought back to the circus where he is now playing happily with his brothers.
‘Fortunately, no one was hurt among the public, or the police or anyone involved in his capture, and we are grateful for that as it was our fear that someone might use deadly force against him.
‘Other than that, I can’t really say anything else because there is an investigation ongoing but he is fine and well and we will keep an eye on him.’
Sharpshooter Raffaele Bisegna, who fired the dart that sedated Kimba, described how he came face to face with the animal.
He said: ‘When the lion saw me, he roared at me. That roar made my hair stand on end.
‘ I hit him as he was moving, as he tried to escape. It was the hardest shot of my life. Indeed, the shot of life.’
Police contacted him after Kimba has escaped as he runs a specialist wildlife agency on the outskirts of Rome which tracks and captures escaped animals.
He added: ‘The animal was 50 meters from the houses and the possibility of evicting the population was being discussed.
‘Kimba, who weighs 220 kilos, is a young lion, only 8 years old and potentially very aggressive.
‘He was very scared and the reaction of a scared lion is clearly unpredictable.’
Bisegna intervened after a first shot of narcotic, fired by a vet appointed by the circus, did not hit the mark.
He went on: ‘The animal was hit on the paw and this aggravated the situation.
‘The lion got nervous and slipped into a reed thicket and then settled into the bed of a small river.’
To be able to track him down again, rescuers used infrared technology and a helicopter to scour the undergrowth.
He said:’ The police helicopter reported movement in a specific area. Then we spotted him with a night vision device with infrared cameras.
‘He was at 80 meters, I approached 35 and fired the shot. When the lion saw me he roared and tried to run away. I hit him on the move, on the back.
‘The possibility of shooting to kill had been raised but we risked everything to prevent this from happening.
‘Our rifles have a maximum range of 30 meters. I shot at 35 meters, beyond the potential of the vehicle. It was the shot of a lifetime.’
‘After the shot, the lion fell back into the waters of the canal, but was soon identified thanks to the GPS installed on the dart.
A shocking video has captured the moment an escaped lion casually walks down a residential street in Rome
‘At that point, once the area was made safe, he was collected and brought back to the circus.
‘We’ve been doing this business for twelve years and we’ve saved everything.
‘Cattle stuck in crevasses, horses. Wounded wolves needing assistance. Boars, bears, even a giraffe.
‘But the lion is the first time and I think it will be the only one. I’m used to wild animals, but the lion’s roar made my hair stand on end.
‘The fear came later, when everything was over. As soon as the call came I told my family, don’t wait for me for dinner, I’m going to capture a lion.
‘They thought I was making fun of them. Then after the capture they were more excited than me.’