No, a tiger was not reported on I-270 earlier this week.
Frederick County has been buzzing for the last few days after an altered screenshot of dispatch audio claimed a “Tiger reported on I-270 southbound roadway.” The edited post also included altered text stating that dispatch had received a report of a possible tiger in the roadway near an exit along southbound I-270. In reality, the original alert reported a tire in the roadway. Someone simply edited the word “tire” to “tiger.”
The post was shared across multiple Facebook groups, with some users joining in on the joke. One person even posted an altered image showing a tiger standing behind a guardrail along I-270. While the rumor was quickly debunked after the original dispatch alert surfaced, that didn’t stop hundreds of people from commenting on and sharing the post.
Ironically, Montgomery County actually did have a memorable tiger-related incident in 2021. Our featured photo shows a lifelike white tiger figurine that was spotted along I-270 in Rockville in February 2021. At the time, Rockville Police wrote: “Did you see it, did you do a double take? We’ve received quite a few inquiries today about the white tiger sitting along I-270 this past Saturday morning.”
According to police, Montgomery County 911 received a call around 8:48am from a concerned driver reporting a white tiger sitting on the jersey wall just before the southbound Montrose Road exit. Rockville Police Officer Weiss responded and quickly discovered the tiger wasn’t real, but rather a large, lifelike figurine. Officers from the Montgomery County Police Department’s 1st District removed the tiger and took possession of it.
Police said they never learned how or why the tiger ended up perched along the interstate, but the unusual sight certainly got people talking. The figurine was eventually adopted by MCPD’s 1st District officers, where it found a new home at the station.
