Leopard on the loose: Escaped big cat sparks fear in China
One leopard remained at large in eastern China yesterday after escaping from a safari park with two of its fellow big cats, prompting fierce public criticism of the wildlife attraction over the safety lapse and for brutally hunting down the escapees with packs of dogs.
Residents of the city of Hangzhou first reported seeing leopard sightings in local tea plantations late last week, but the Hangzhou Safari Park only acknowledged the outbreak after the news went viral.
The park has said the cats were not fully grown and that it delayed making a public statement to avoid causing panic, but it faces accusations that keeping mum recklessly endangered residents.
Local officials said yesterday that five people associated with the park – including its general manager – had been detained and that police had launched an investigation into the incident.
Chinese media reported that a search team was on the trail of the third leopard after fresh paw prints were found on Sunday, in an effort that included a spotter hovering over the plantations in a powered parachute.
Some of the fiercest criticism was sparked by videos of the recapture of at least one of the cats – looking nearly full-grown – showing a pack of at least five dogs mauling the leopard as it clawed desperately at them.
Video from a Chinese state-run television outlet released over the weekend also appears to show one of the recaptured leopards resting in an enclosure with one of its hind feet missing. The stump appeared freshly wounded and was unbandaged.