After an hours-long search, the clouded leopard that escaped from its exhibit at the Dallas Zoo was found Friday night.
Dallas police and zoo officials announced Saturday afternoon that they believe 4-year-old clouded leopard Nova escaped from an opening in his enclosure that was intentionally cut.
Gregg Hudson, president and CEO of the Dallas Zoo, explained that when staff head counted and checked the zoo’s exhibits in the morning, they discovered Nova was missing and the enclosure had been tampered with.
“We found a suspicious opening in the wall of the habitat at the front of the exhibit,” Hudson explained. “It was clear that this opening was not a habitat failure, it was not a display failure, and it was not keeper error.”
CLOUDED LEOPARD ESCAPE AT DALLAS ZOO, MASS SEARCH UNDERGOING
A clouded leopard cub runs at the Mulhouse zoo in eastern France on August 28, 2020.
(Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images)
Dallas police public information officer Warren Mitchell agreed with Hudson’s assessment of the situation.
“We believe this was an intentional act, so we have launched a criminal investigation,” Mitchell explained. “The fence she escaped from was intentionally cut down.”
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The massive search continued for hours until the animal was safely near its original habitat.
“Initial indications are that she is not injured,” a statement from the zoo said. “She is being evaluated by our veterinary staff at this time.”
The Dallas Zoo was closed while officials searched for an escaped clouded leopard on Friday, January 13, 2023.
(KDFW)
According to Mitchell, authorities deployed drones that were calibrated to that particular animal’s heat signature to aid in the search.
“These are very elusive animals. They live in dense forests in the trees, so it’s a very difficult animal to try to find,” Hudson explained.
In this undated photo provided by the Dallas Zoo, a clouded leopard named Nova rests on a tree branch in an enclosure.
(Dallas Zoo via AP)
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According to Dallas police, zoo researchers also found a similar cut in a habitat that housed langur monkeys.
“All of the langurs were still within their habitat and did not appear to be damaged or endangered. A criminal mischief report was made. [and] This is an ongoing investigation. It is unknown if the two incidents are related,” the statement read.
