Leopards erupted from a zoo and caused panic

Panic signaled in an area in eastern China where one leopard is still free today, after her departure along with two others from a zoo.

The zoo has come under fire for being too late to sound the alarm.

Residents of Hangzhou, a large city about 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Shanghai, had been aware of the presence of a feline that was circulating freely since Thursday. Some even thought that the animal might have escaped from a nearby zoo.

However, the Hangzhou Zoo, which is home to many savannah animals, had initially denied any involvement before announcing on Saturday that it was temporarily closed for “security reasons”.

The news quickly spread widely on social media.

However only later on Saturday o Zoo he finally admitted that one of the animals he hosts broke it and apologized for not sounding the alarm earlier not to “panic”.

Local authorities announced today that five people had been arrested, including the head of the zoo, and that an investigation had been launched into the incident, as reported by Agence France-Presse and relayed by the Athens News Agency.

According to Chinese media, a total of three young leopards had escaped from the zoo. Two were captured at the weekend, while a third is still being sought today using major means, mainly by air.

The zoos in China are often criticized for the living conditions of animals, but also for fatalities attributed to lax safety rules.

This is not the first time wild animals have sown terror in the country.

Last month, a Siberian tiger was found face to face with a villager in a village on the border with Russia before attacking him, according to local newspapers.