Raccoon mistaken for tiger sparks NYPD panic

Now don't freak out, but there may be a tiger on the loose in New York City.

At least, that's according to an app that awoke users in Manhattan, based on a call made to 911.

"Police are responding to unconfirmed reports of a loose tiger running around the street," the Citizen app said.

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The NYPD were notified of a tiger in Harlem about 8.30am last Thursday.

But after an investigation, police found out the true cause of alarm.

"It's not a tiger, it's a raccoon," an NYPD spokesman told the New York Times.

We have to ask how this mistake got made.

Raccoons and tigers are both mammals, and they both have some stripes.

But raccoons are the size of a Jack Russell, grey and black, and native to the United States.

Tigers meanwhile, are tigers.

We're starting to think that dialling emergency services should be a privilege that can be taken away.