MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – The owner of a tiger found wandering the streets has now come forward and is hoping to be reunited with the animal.

Cody Tibbitts said he moved the tiger because of last week's flooding and was transporting it to a friend's place when it escaped.

"I got a call from my friend. Realized she was gone. I sent the tiger to be transported to a friend in Montgomery County but never showed up. Never showed up," he said.

Tibbitts says he got the animal from a friend who said the tiger was being neglected while in someone else's care.

"She was basically almost walking in water. She could not stay on that property no longer. So I decided to send her to a buddy's house," said Tibbitts.

He's had her for a month, but with the recent floods was temporarily sending her to a friend's house.

The Conroe Police Department received numerous calls around 11 a.m. about the loose tiger wandering near houses in the Water Crest subdivision.

The young female tiger, wearing a collar and a leash, was found in the area of Coral Cove Pass near Longmire and League Line by a couple walking in the area.

Jonathan Gessner, 19, and his girlfriend, Erin Poole, encountered what they expected would be a wild animal, and at first they were frightened.

Gessner said the big cat was crouching in a menacing way. But what happened next, just blew his mind.

"She runs up to me, jumped on me and put her paws on my shoulders and just starts licking my face like a dog. I thought it was pretty cool," Gessner said.

Now, Tibbitts says he plans to either get the tiger back if he's allowed to -- or donate her to a shelter.

"I've been doing my best to get this situated and everything like that," said Tibbitts.

If he cannot maintain ownership of the tiger, Tibbitts said he would donate the tiger to an animal sanctuary in North Texas.

Tibbitts also noted the tiger is doing well.

The judge that would allow the seizure to take place at the animal shelter is not in, so we don't expect it to happen Monday.