KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Here, kitty kitty.

Authorities are searching for a tiger on the loose in Tennessee.

An off-duty Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy reported around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday seeing a large cat emerge from the French Broad River, cross the street and then disappear into a wooded area, a sheriff's office spokeswoman told the Knoxville News Sentinel. 

Fifteen to 20 people from the animal control units of the sheriff’s office and the Knoxville Police Department, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officers, and Tiger Haven, a big-cat sanctuary in nearby Kingston, scoured the area until midnight but did not find the animal, the newspaper reported. Authorities also used a helicopter in the search.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency took over the search Thursday morning. A spokesman for the agency told the News Sentinel that a second unconfirmed tiger sighting was reported after midnight near Thorngrove Pike, which winds along the French Broad River. 

A humane trap baited with chicken was set overnight but pulled Thursday because the subsequent sighting was a few miles away.

Where the tiger might have come from is a mystery. Zoo Knoxville and Tiger Haven say all their tigers are accounted for, and owning a tiger as a pet is illegal in Tennessee.

If caught, the tiger will be taken to Tiger Haven, authorities said.