WATCH | Lion escapes from circus for a weekend stroll through Italian town

A lion that escaped from an Italian circus has been taking well-deserved naps to recover from a Saturday night out in the seaside town of Ladispoli that sparked panic before authorities managed to recapture him.

The adult lion, named Kimba, escaped from the “Rony Roller” circus on Saturday and was on the loose for about seven hours before he was sedated with an anaesthetic dart.

Footage and pictures, some taken by locals, went viral and showed the lion roaming around the town streets, skirting houses and fences, and standing in front of a carabinieri police car.

Local authorities are investigating how the lion managed to get out of its metal enclosure.

“What happened is strange. All we can say is a lion does not have the ability to open a latch and break a lock,” Rony Vassallo, the animal supervisor and trainer at the circus told Reuters.

In a Facebook post on Monday, mayor Alessandro Grando wrote he would ask council experts to check if there were legal grounds to revoke the permits for the “Rony Roller” circus. The travelling circus was scheduled to stay in Ladipsoli between November 9 and 19.

Some locals expressed solidarity with Kimba.

“I am sorry because it is in prison. It should be in its environment, the savannah,” said Ladispoli resident Giuseppe Altavilla.