Lion roams streets of Italian seaside town after escaping from circus

A lion was seen roaming the streets of an Italian seaside town after escaping from a circus on Saturday evening (11 November).

Footage shared by LAV, an Italian non-profit organisation, shows the big cat walking through the dark and deserted streets of Ladispoli, near Rome.

Alessandro Grando, the mayor of Ladispoli, confirmed that law enforcement were “quickly on the scene”.

Six hours after his original message, Mr Grando said the lion had been “sedated and captured” and would be taken back by circus staff.

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