Dallas Zoo Closes After Leopard Escapes Its Habitat

NBC News reports:

A search is underway for a clouded leopard that escaped from its habitat at the Dallas Zoo Friday morning, officials said. The incident, described as “a serious situation,” prompted the zoo to shut down for the rest of the day. The leopard, named Nova, likely escaped through a tear in the mesh enclosure the feline shares with sister Luna.

The animals dwell in the cloud forests of Southeast Asia and are one of the most ancient cat species, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Clouded leopards are described as a vulnerable species, the institute said, adding it is estimated that less than 10,000 mature individuals remain in the wild.

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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

Dallas PD is onsite assisting with the search efforts. The Zoo is closed today as our teams work to find and recover the animal. Given the nature of these animals, we believe the animal is still on grounds and hiding. We will share updates and more information as soon as we can.

— Dallas Zoo (@DallasZoo) January 13, 2023