Police in southwest Ohio confirmed they were investigating a report of possible tiger sighting near the University of Cincinnati on Monday morning.

"We did receive a call for a possible sighting of something that resembled a tiger," Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) spokesperson Jonathan Cunningham told USA TODAY. "Our officers did check the area with nothing found."

A UC Department of Public Safety dispatcher, whose agency assisted CPD in the search for several hours, said police received the call about 3 a.m.

The school is just south of the city's Clifton neighborhood, about 5 miles north of downtown Cincinnati.

Zoo: Both tigers accounted for

Cincinnati Zoo Communications Director Michelle Curley told USA TODAY all tigers at the zoo had been accounted for.

The zoo is located less than a mile from the university.

"Our tigers are safe and sound and at the Zoo," Curley said of the park's two tigers.

Residents were asked to avoid area

As of about 8:45 a.m. local time Monday, Cunningham said, police had not located a tiger and no additional sightings had been reported.

People had been asked to avoid the area while officers investigated.

This is a developing story.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.