The County Court, in Swindon, has allowed the owners of the Kington Langley Wild Animal Centre one month to find the money to pay their mortgage arrears.

The sanctuary, near Cirencester, Wiltshire, is also at the centre of a planning row.

North Wiltshire district councillors said "wild and dangerous" Tessa, and an alligator and a puma kept at the site, would have to be found new homes.

They pointed out the special planning permission required to house dangerous wild animals, has not been granted to owners Kevin and Debbie Stinchcombe.

The planning row erupted after Tessa arrived at the sanctuary in August, prompting fears from locals that she might escape.

Butch and Sundance

The future of the animals has still to be decided.

Esso has pledged £25,000 to help find Tessa a permanent home.

But other animals - including Butch and Sundance, the Tamworth pigs who escaped the abattoir - have still to find benefactors.

The company has pledged £25,000 for Tessa's upkeep

Last week, Councillor Peter Green said: "What really brought matters to a head happened in August when suddenly a tiger unit, complete with accoutrements, caravans and people suddenly moved in and frankly I thought they were just confronting the local authority."

At the time, Mrs Stinchcombe said she would not help the council to remove Tessa.

She said: "I don't know what the council think they are going to do with them because I'm not going to do anything."

'We're staying'

And Tessa's keeper Mark Chandler vowed to keep her at the sanctuary.

He said: "I'm staying here for good. This is a permanent home for me and Tessa. I spent a long time looking for a permanent home.

"I've now got a perfect location to built a perfect enclosure for this cat and we're staying.