Tiger In Bathroom At Kansas Circus Shocks Woman; Daughter Asks, "Did The Tiger Wash Its Hands?"

A tiger in the bathroom is one thing most people certainly don't expect to see. But there was an escaped tiger in the bathroom of a circus in Salina, Kansas, giving a woman who went in to use it a shock. Jenna Krehbiel told the Salina Journal

"I walked in the door, which closed right after I had walked in. I saw the tiger; it was at most two feet in front of me, and I turned around calmly and walked back toward the door. Someone opened the door and said get out."

"You don't expect to go in a bathroom door, have it shut behind you and see a tiger walking toward you," Krehbiel said.

The manager, Chris Bird, said the bathroom was about 25 feet long and that "Once she saw the tiger, I'm sure she knew to go the other way. Overall, it was a scary, surreal moment. I am glad no one was hurt or injured."

Krebhel's daughter had a very different reaction. "My daughter wanted to know if it had washed its hands," Krehbiel said. "That was her only concern. I think that shows the thoughts of children and that they wouldn't have known there was danger."

The tiger briefly escaped and had evaded barricades that the circus staff had set up by doddging into the bathroom. One of two entrances to the bathroom was quickly blockaded by security, but Krehbiel used the other door, which was not visible from the blocked door. There, she came face to face with the tiger, which weighed over 250 pounds.

Because she is a social worker and taught to stay calm, she didn't scream or panic. "I'm always on alert, and it was easy to walk out," she said. "Looking back, it was a scary ordeal. At the time, I was thinking I just needed to get out."

The incident occurred Saturday as the Isis Shrine Circus was performing in the  Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kansas, pop. 50,000. A staff member told Krehbiel that the tiger was well-trained and that there was no risk.