Look: Amur leopard escapes exhibit at South Carolina zoo
Look Amur leopard escapes headlines met reality Thursday at South Carolina's Greenville Zoo, where Irina, a 4-year-old Amur leopard, left her exhibit that morning. Officials said she remained inside the zoo walls, was safely tranquilized about 9:20 a.m., and returned to her enclosure as the zoo stayed closed for an investigation.
Key Takeaways
- Irina, a 4-year-old Amur leopard, left her Greenville Zoo enclosure Thursday morning but stayed within the zoo grounds.
- Zoo teams safely tranquilized her about 9:20 a.m. and returned her to her enclosure.
- Greenville Zoo remained closed Thursday while officials investigated the escape.
- Cleveland Park briefly closed during the response and has since reopened.
What happened when the Amur leopard escaped?
According to UPI, the Greenville Zoo said on social media that Irina left her enclosure Thursday morning and was loose within the zoo grounds.
The City of Greenville earlier confirmed the zoo's opening would be delayed Thursday morning. Cleveland Park was closed to the public while police and zookeepers attended to the situation.
In a statement provided to WYFF-TV, the zoo said Cleveland Park and the Greenville Zoo were temporarily closed while zoo personnel and first responders contained an animal that left its exhibit. The animal was inside the zoo walls, and Greenville Police and firefighters were on scene to keep the public at a safe distance.
Was the leopard returned to her exhibit safely?
Yes. UPI reported the leopard was safely tranquilized about 9:20 a.m. and returned to her enclosure. The facility later revealed the escaped animal was an Amur leopard, ending early uncertainty about which animal had gotten out.
That outcome matters for nearby visitors and families because the response stayed inside the zoo walls. For more odd-but-true animal headlines, browse our Bizarre News & Florida Man coverage.
Why did Greenville Zoo stay closed Thursday?
The zoo said it would remain closed for the rest of the day Thursday while officials investigate the escape. Cleveland Park has since reopened, according to the report.
A parent whose child attends day camp at the zoo received a Thursday morning message that described an emergency at the Greenville Zoo. It said children already dropped off were in the Brook's playground, asked families to stay away from the zoo, and promised updates as soon as possible.
What do we know so far about the escape?
Public details so far center on timing, location, and containment. Irina is a 4-year-old Amur leopard. She left her exhibit Thursday morning, remained inside the zoo, was tranquilized around 9:20 a.m., and was returned to her enclosure.
Authorities have not publicly detailed in the UPI report how she got out. The investigation underway Thursday is the next step zoo officials flagged after the animal was secured.