On 29th October 1807 an Invermoriston woman awoke to find a Bengal tiger in her house.
It leapt 16ft across the room at her before being chased outside. It had escaped from a menagerie at Brahan Castle and was said “to have done considerable mischief”
In November 1878, a polar bear brought back by Arctic whalers escaped into the streets of Dundee. After charging up Commercial St, it broke into a clothier’s shop on the High St (it’s now a gift shop).
It was recaptured after it got distracted by a mirror. The tailor and a customer were in the shop at the time and hid behind the counter. Amazingly no-one (including the bear) was injured, except for a dress mannequin in the shop window– it got badly mauled. An ex-sailor who worked for the Theatre Royal made a noose, marched in the shop, and threw it round its neck. Cool as ye like.
Illustrated Police News. 23rd November 1878. pg. 1.
Edinburgh Evening News. 8th Novemeber 1878. pg. 2.