Dallas Zoo Shut Down After Leopard Escapes, Eventually Captured After All-Day Search

A clouded leopard caused a stir at the Dallas zoo Friday afternoon after she got loose and caused an all-day search that shut down the zoo.

Somehow, 25-pound Nova escaped from her enclosure. A zoo employee noticed the leopard was missing earlier that morning, Forbes reported.

Staff members believed she was still on the premises but called the local police to help search for her.

Local news networks got wind of the missing leopard and broadcast live helicopter coverage of the situation.

She was eventually located around 4:40 pm and captured by 5:15 pm. The veterinarian staff is evaluating Nova, but “initial indications are she is not injured,” according to the zoo.

Zoo escapes don’t happen too often, and when they do, dangerous animals usually escape. At Audubon Zoo in New Orleans zoo in 2018, a jaguar made a hole in its enclosure and escaped during the night, killing six alpacas, three foxes, and an emu before he was finally subdued. He eventually returned to his enclosure and remains at the zoo.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dallas Zoo (@dallaszoo)