Leopards spotted in east China city after escaping from safari park
- Video footage of big cats prowling the streets and tea plantations of Hangzhou viewed more than 4 million times
- Animal park issues apology after earlier denying any of its animals were missing
The residents of an east China city were living in fear this week after discovering that leopards were roaming their neighbourhood.
Three big cats broke out of Hangzhou Safari Park in Zhejiang province some time over the past seven days, but until Saturday there had been no official announcement about the incident.
Most people made the frightening discovery only after watching footage of the animals shared on social media. In one clip, a leopard could be seen roaming through a tea plantation, while in a second, a beast was seen prowling the streets of a residential area.
It is not known if it was the same animal in the two clips, but the chilling footage had been viewed more than 4 million times as of Saturday afternoon.
According to the Fuyang district government, where the park is located, a team of animal experts and hunters was put together to look for the big cats after police were alerted to the matter on Friday night.
Two of the leopards were subsequently captured and returned to safety, the authorities said, adding that all three animals were believed to be juveniles.
It advised the public to remain vigilant until the third big cat had been rounded up and to call the police if they spotted it.
A day before the government’s announcement, the park itself dismissed claims that some of its leopards had escaped after being asked by reporters about the video footage.
However, on Saturday it issued an apology on social media saying it did not come clean about the escape as “juvenile leopards are not very aggressive” and it did not want to cause a panic.
“We are deeply remorseful and will sincerely accept criticism from the public.”
In one of the clips, shared on Weibo – China’s Twitter-like platform – a man said he first saw one of the leopards in a field last Sunday.
“Two leopards are still at large? It sends a chill down my spine,” another Weibo user said after hearing the first had been caught.
Others were outraged when they heard the incident had been hushed up.
“The park denied any animals had escaped. Poor management or concealing the truth? It should be punished severely,” a person said.
The Fuyang government said it had apprehended the person in charge of the park and would conduct a full investigation into the incident.
Hangzhou Safari Park covers about 200 hectares (490 acres) and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in east China. Over the recent May Day holiday it attracted up to 50,000 visitors a day.
