Eye to Eye with a grown-up tiger!

In October 2003, New York City witnessed 1 of the most bizarre urban encounters in its history. Local police officers responded to unusual reports regarding a massive creature residing inside a public housing complex in Harlem. Peering cautiously through a small hole in an apartment door, Officer Martin Duffey and his team found themselves locking eyes with Ming, a colossal 425 pound Siberian Bengal tiger. A resident had secretly raised the giant predator inside his 5th floor home ever since it was a tiny cub. Because a massive tiger was living inside a crowded residential building, emergency responders had to design a highly creative strategy to secure the animal safely without harming anyone. In a daring move, a brave officer rappelled down the exterior of the building on a rope, successfully firing a tranquilizer dart through an open window. This astonishing event has become a legendary piece of New York folklore, perfectly illustrating an unbelievable intersection of dense city life and wild nature, while showcasing the incredible adaptability of the officers involved.