Ladispoli, Italy - A lion that escaped from a circus caused hours of excitement and fear in the Italian harbor town of Ladispoli on Saturday before being caught.

The predator roamed the streets of the town of 40,000 inhabitants to the north of Rome during the afternoon.

Mayor Alessandro Grando had warned the population to be "extremely careful."

It took several hours before the animal could be tranquilized and recaptured.

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Several videos spread like wildfire on the internet, showing the king of the jungle strutting its stuff leisurely through the streets of the town and along the sidewalks.

Most residents stayed in their houses and apartments as a precaution, while were also temporarily trapped in their cars as the apex predator meandered by.

The animal was later spotted among reeds outside Ladispoli.

Later in the evening, authorities managed to locate the lion and give it a tranquilizer shot, according to the mayor. The huge animal then fell asleep after a few minutes and was brought back to the circus safely, putting an end to his leisurely evening jaunt.

The incident drew attention to the often cruel conditions wild animals are subjected to in circuses. "I hope that this episode can stir some consciences and that we can finally put an end to the exploitation of animals in circuses," Mayor Grando said.