Three Leopards Escape From A Zoo In China, Wandering Downtown

Illustration of a Leopard. (Wikimedia Commons/Danh)

JAKARTA - Three leopards escaped from the surveillance of a safari park in one of China's largest cities, briefly roaming the city for a week, before zoo officials made it public.

Leopards remain roaming near one of China's largest cities after three big cats escaped from the zoo during a busy May Day holiday.

Residents living near Hangzhou Safari Park in China, who have not told the public for a week that the leopard had escaped, spotted a stray cat last week and notified authorities, according to an announcement from the Fuyang District government, as reported by CNN.

Surveillance footage uploaded online shows one of the leopards walking near the upscale Jinyuan Villa area east of the park on Friday, May 7.

"Search teams have been dispatched and two of the leopards were found," local authorities said in a statement.

"Now a massive manhunt has been launched for a third, with officials and locals searching on foot and by drone," the statement continued.

It was only after the search was carried out and seven days since the animals were reportedly first spotted, the park officially notified the public. According to state-backed 'The Paper', park staff initially denied reports that the leopard had escaped.

Illustration of a Leopard. (Wikimedia Commons/Haplochromis)

In a statement Saturday, May 8, the zoo said, "Sincerely apologize for not notifying people early. We are concerned that the announcement of the incident will cause panic," the statement read.

The statement said administrators felt guilty about the risks posed. Along with the mistake, the manager received with airy criticism made by the public.

For the purposes of the investigation, Hangzhou Safari Park has been closed while local authorities work. Those held responsible for this incident are detained for the purposes of investigation by the police.

It remains unclear how the leopard escaped, while concerns over poor conditions and weak safety standards at the zoo in China have worried zoo visitors.

Last year, a worker at Shanghai Wildlife Park was mauled to death by a bear in front of customers passing through a safari area. It then became a public spotlight.

For the record, opened in 2002, Hangzhou Safari Park houses more than 200 species of animals, including pandas and elephants. meanwhile, the escaped leopard is kept in the Dangerous Predator Zone.