A search is underway for a Bengal tiger that escaped from a zoo in Mexico's northern border city of Reynosa.

The animal broke out of its cage at the Quinta La Fauna zoo Wednesday morning, a Mexican official said.

Zoo staff posted on social media asking for the public's help and warning all to be on the lookout. In addition to notifying local, state, and federal authorities in Mexico, the zoo also alerted U.S. border agents in the Texas city of Hidalgo, just across the Rio Grande.

Animal experts say tigers have webbed paws and can swim up to seven miles in a day.

Lt. Enrique Longoria, from the Hidalgo County Sheriff's office, told a local news outlet, "We have advised our deputies to remain vigilant."

Mexico's federal attorney for environmental protection said residents have reported seeing the tiger, but agents have been unable to capture it so far. That office issued a bulletin that said, "It should be noted that there are areas of dense vegetation in the surrounding area, which makes it difficult to capture the tiger."

One agency official said, "We are taking all necessary precautions to capture the tiger without endangering the population."

It's unclear how the tiger escaped, and as a result, the zoo has been closed since Wednesday.

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