Woman comes face to face with escaped tiger in circus bathroom

SALINA, Kansas (FOX45) -- A Kansas woman taking a bathroom break during a circus act recently came face to face with an escaped tiger.

The big cat, named Leah, had escaped briefly after performing Saturday at the Isis Shrine Circus in Salina, according to the Salina Journal. Staff members had blocked off the concourses, but Leah somehow managed to sneak into the women's restroom.

Jenna Krehbiel told KWCH she found the tiger standing about 2 feet away when she opened the door. "I turned around calmly and walked back toward the door," she said. "Someone opened the door and said, 'Get out.'"

The tiger was quickly captured and returned to her cage. So how did Krehbiel stay so cool? Turns out she's a social worker, and told the Salina Journal she's trained to stay calm.

Krehbiel's 3-year-old daughter had a different reaction. "She asked me about the tiger in the bathroom, if the tiger washed its hands, and I told her 'Yes, of course.' Then she proceeded to ask if the tiger had any popcorn, which 'Yes, he did,'" she told KWCH.