THIS is the terrifying moment a huge escaped lion is seen prowling across a quiet neighbourhood.

Footage shows the dangerous beast just after it had broken loose from its enclosure and started to stalk around a small Mexican town.

Bewildered residents in San Pedro Cholula, just west of Mexico City, were left in shock when they witnessed the killer feline on the pavement.

The video, filmed by a passing car, captured the moment the apex predator paused on its journey and gave a piercing stare at panicking people rushing to tame the big cat.

Those who saw the escaped king of the jungle on the loose quickly alerted the cops and animal specialists at around 7am on Wednesday.

The police were unable to track down the dangerous beast until they found it and safely took it home to the Recica Animal Foundation where it had escaped from.

The nearby rescue centre was in the town of Ocoyoacac.

The San Pedro Cholula mayor’s office released a statement on the incident, saying: “The animal was quickly captured and the relevant investigations have been initiated to determine the origin of the incident and prevent future incidents. 

“Likewise, the necessary checks will be carried out to reinforce security measures in the area.”

It didn’t cause any harm or damage to the surrounding areas.

An image later posted on social media reportedly showed the moment the lion walked back into its enclosure.

A man in a yellow hoodie over his head bravely walked side-by-side with the animal through the open gate.

At first, many residents believed the lion may have escaped from an animal sanctuary on a property once owned by the alleged leader of a gang with links to the Sinaloa Cartel.

The home became infamous in November 2024 after police rescued 27 wild animals from the sanctuary – including tigers, lions, panthers and wolves. 

Cops later announced they had arrested 40 people and charged them with having ties to a criminal organisation.

The ownership of wild animals is legal in Mexico with a permit provided by the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection.

Another escaped lion rocked a small Italian seaside town in 2023 when residents saw it stalking the streets.

Terrified locals in Ladispoli, near Rome, were told to stay indoors as police hunted the beast down.

It proved to be a difficult mission as three vets armed with rifles managed to find the lion and shoot it with a tranquilliser but failed to sedate it.

It simply got up and limped off, reports local news outlet Corriere della Sera.