In parts of Mexico, gunfights between security personnel and drug gangs are frequent. But in a highly uncommon instance, drug lords' truck that they left following a battle with security personnel included a Bengal tiger that had been abandoned in the back seat.
According to The Metro, a convoy of cartel vehicles was spotted by members of a Mexican anti-drug unit in Sinaloa, north Mexico, last Monday, and a ferocious gunfight ensued. In Mexico, tigers are practically synonymous with drug cartels, and after spotting the huge tethered beast in the backseat of the car, the soldiers knew they were dealing with narcos.
The news outlet added that after an extensive gun battle, the remaining gang members eventually left the area, leaving behind their cars, weapons, ammunition, and tiger.
After a protracted shootout, the drug lord's vehicles were covered in bullet holes, but fortunately, the tiger was unhurt. Three vehicles and a tiger were spotted by security personnel.
The tiger, the weaponry, and the three vehicles were all taken into custody. The tiger was eventually brought to the Culiacan Zoo and then taken to the adjacent Ostok animal refuge.