US Zoo Shuts Down Briefly After Clouded Leopard Escapes

Dallas Zoo, the largest zoo in Texas, had to close down on Friday due to a missing clouded leopard. However, the zoo later announced that the animal had been recovered on its grounds and was secure.

The zoo said that its grounds were closed due to a "serious situation." They further added that the police were helping search for four-year-old Nova, one of the zoo's two clouded leopard sisters. The zoo issued a "code blue," indicating that an animal was not in its habitat.

We have an ongoing situation at the Zoo right now with a Code Blue – that is a non-dangerous animal that is out of its habitat. One of our clouded leopards was not in its habitat when the team arrived this morning and is unaccounted for at this time.

— Dallas Zoo (@DallasZoo) January 13, 2023

Describing the animal, the zoo said, "This animal is an adult clouded leopard and weighs 25 lbs. Its habitat is a dense forest, and it is designed for life in the treetops. It is bigger than a house cat and smaller than most bobcats. If you think you see the animals, please do not approach the animal." Due to her attachment to her sister and the territory, the zoo claimed that they did not view Nova as a threat to people and that they believed she was likely hiding somewhere on the grounds.

"More likely than not when she's scared, she's going to climb a tree, stay out of our way, hunt some squirrels and birds and hope not to be noticed," Harrison Edell, the zoo's vice president for animal care and conservation, said, as reported by Reuters. The zoo warned people not to approach the animal if they saw it. Instead, they were requested to send a photo and a message to the zoo.

The animal was found in the evening. The zoo later tweeted that they were "thrilled to report" that the clouded leopard had been found on their premises at around 4:40 pm. "We are thrilled to report we located clouded leopard Nova on-grounds at the Zoo this afternoon at approximated 4:40 p.m. She was located very near the original habitat, and teams were able to safely secure her just before 5:15 p.m." reads the tweet. According to zoo officials, Nova did not appear to be injured and was being assessed by the veterinary team.