MURCHISON, Texas — Less than two weeks after riding shotgun while a Houston man eluded authorities, India the tiger has a new home at a north Texas animal sanctuary.
“India is a confident boy, and in his large space he is relishing in his freedom and acting like the curious, lively young tiger he is,” Noelle Almrud, senior director of the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, said in a prepared statement.
India was moved into the naturally wooded half-acre habitat over the weekend, KTRK reported.
Almrud also said that the Bengal tiger illustrates his “wild instincts” by bouncing around the habitat and “stalking his toys in the thick, tall grass.”
“[India] is having a great time in his pool, particularly batting at the waterspout, and spending time exploring the hills, platforms and other enrichment, including a big red ball he ambushes as he leaps from behind bushes to try to get it,” Almrud added, noting that he “continues to thrive and is eating well.”
Earlier this month, India was spotted roaming a Houston neighborhood, prompting a confrontation between authorities and one of several intermittent keepers of the animal that culminated in Victor Cuevas’ arrest for eluding authorities. Cuevas had been awaiting trial on murder charges dating to 2017 at the time of the incident.
According to WFAA, India had been passed around between several owners since he was a cub.
Prior to being released into the half-acre habitat, Black Beauty’s operators kept him in a temporary enclosure to allow him time to adjust to the new surroundings, the TV station reported.
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Founded in 1979 by author and animal advocate Cleveland Amory, the 1,400-acre Black Beauty Ranch is home to nearly 800 domestic and exotic animals, “many of whom have been rescued from near-death situations such as research laboratories, law enforcement seizures and hoarding situations,” according to its website.