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| - FACT CHECK: No, A Tiger Has Not Been Spotted In Middleburg, Florida
A post shared on Facebook claims a tiger was purportedly spotted in Middleburg, Florida.
Verdict: False
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office denied the claim’s validity via a Mar. 13 post shared on their verified Facebook account and via an email to Check Your Fact. USA Today also debunked the claim.
Fact Check:
Several fishermen recently discovered human remains in Middleburg, Florida, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed, according to Action News JAX. The sheriff’s office is currently performing an investigation, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post, which has been shared over 800 times, claims a tiger was purportedly spotted in Middleburg, Florida. “Residents of Middleburg were left on edge after reports surfaced of a tiger sighting in the wooded area behind the Winn Dixie in the Grand Ole Plaza. The elusive animal, initially spotted on Moncrief Road in Jacksonville, has now seemingly found its way into the quiet community of Middleburg. It is unknown at this time wether the tiger escaped from the Jacksonville Zoo or the Catty Shack Ranch,” the post reads in part.
The claim is false, however. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office denied the claim’s validity via a Mar. 13 post shared on their verified Facebook account.
“Please do not call 911. There is no tiger loose in Clay County,” the post, which includes various tiger memes, reads.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting a tiger was purportedly spotted in the Florida town. In fact, the opposite is true. USA Today debunked the claim via a Mar. 21 article. Abbegail Harris, a spokesperson for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, indicated the claim is false and directed the outlet to the Mar. 13 Facebook post. Additionally, Jacksonville Zoo spokesperson Emily Long told the outlet that a “tiger did not escape [the] facility.”
The Jacksonville Zoo also has not publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Image Allegedly Showing Underneath The Capitol Building Is AI-Generated)
Furthermore, Harris denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“That post is indeed not true. It is not a post made by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and we are not affiliated with that page. The address of the page comes back to [the] Winn Dixie. The tiger post is being used as satire as it has been circulating in other states (i.e. Alabama.) There is also a new one regarding a rhino,” Harris said.
Check Your Fact has also contacted the Jacksonville Zoo for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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