Only in the UAE: Cheetah roams Sharjah streets, terrifies mosque-goers at prayer time

According to an onlooker, police ended up playing a game of hide and seek with the big cat after cordoning off an area near the Radisson Blu Hotel. For reals. From The National:

"Ahmed, another local resident, said the cheetah, which was handed over to the Arabian Wildlife Centre, was first spotted swimming behind the mosque."

This incident follows hot on the heels of Monday's "snakes on a plane" incident, which saw a passenger arrested at Abu Dhabi International Airport's first security checkpoint (there's a relief) after carrying a bag with some interesting cargo onto an eight-hour flight from Jakarta. It's almost too much to even type:

"The Saudi passenger was said to have been carrying four snakes, two parrots and a squirrel in his hand luggage."

Update: I forgot to mention, this was someone's pet. Wild and exotic animals are prized possessions here, but they often get more than they bargained for. More on what can happen due to that phenomenon here. Also, Gulf News has not-to-be missed pictures of the spectacle, and the cheetah.