A runaway tiger on the way of shipping near Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province was captured at around 2:20 Tuesday morning after enjoying four hours at large.

Anesthetic was used to tame the tiger and no people were injured, according to Lu Qingrui, deputy general director of the provincial traffic police team of Jilin.

The truck was carrying the male Siberian tiger, 18 years old, and its three companions back to a tiger zoo in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, after their rental term by a zoo in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, ended.

The truck was running on the expressway between Changchun and Siping, a city in Jilin, on Monday night when the tiger tried to break the cage.

Noticing the tiger's attempt, the driver reported the danger to the provincial traffic police authorities of Jilin at about 22:10, which at once sent police cars to tail the truck and watch over the situation. Armed police and forestry police in Jilin also took part in the capture.

The tiger jumped off the truck 20 minutes later, roaming in a 200-m sphere near its landing spot.

Though the tiger seemed to show no fear of passing vehicles, traffic was stopped temporarily in order not to stimulate the escapee.

After resting on the ground for some time, the tiger stood up and walked toward the police cars. All the people at the spot had to hide into the cars. Police cars in front of the tiger had to withdraw, while those after it kept following the tiger slowly.

Zoo workers arrived with anesthetic from Changchun four hours after the accident happened and it cost three shots to tame the 150-kg tiger.

As the tiger was wounded slightly when jumping off the truck, it was taken to the zoo of Changchun for treatment and will be sent to Harbin with the other three tigers later, said zoo workers.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2003)