After a Scottish man called local police to inform them about a tiger in his animal shed, the officers immediately went to help him. After all, 200 of his cows had been in danger. Several vehicles, including an armed response team, were dispatched to the farm at Hatton, near Peterhead.
“I got the fright of my life,” 24-year-old farmer Bruce Grubb told The Scottish Sun. At the time, Grubb was having a housewarming party in the cottage he had just moved in to. He had left his guests to check on his pregnant cows “I was on duty because the cows could drop at any time so I wasn’t drinking. I flashed my torch in the shed and saw it sitting there.”
Once at the scene, armed officers from the North East Police Division surrounded the place. Before moving in on the target, they even contacted a local zoo to see if they had an escapee. After a 45-minute standoff during which the tiger hadn’t moved one bit, suspicions started to rise. Eventually, it turned out to be a large cuddly toy.
Insp George Cordiner told the BBC that the use of firearms is a ‘standard practice’ when there’s a potential threat to the public. “In this case, they attended the area in support of the local community.”
“Our ultimate aim is to protect the public and keep our officers safe when faced with uncertain situations,” he said. ” Until you know exactly what you are dealing with, every option has to be considered.”
“We appreciate that it was a false call made with genuine good intent.”