"Are Young Leopards Cats...?" Three Leopards Escape from Chinese Zoo, Delayed Announcement Sparks Controversy

The leopard that escaped from Hangzhou Wildlife Park. Photo by Observer Network capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] Three leopards escaped from a zoo in China, but controversy arose as the incident was not properly announced.

Today (the 9th), Chinese local media such as Xin Jing Bao (新京報) reported that three young leopards recently escaped from the Hangzhou (杭州) Wildlife Zoo in China. However, it was revealed that the Hangzhou Wildlife Zoo did not promptly notify the public about this incident, drawing criticism.

The escaped leopards were captured alive using search dogs and tranquilizer guns after being found by nearby residents. However, the Hangzhou Wildlife Zoo only announced the escape after two of the three leopards had been captured. The one remaining leopard is still being tracked, and safety alerts have been issued around nearby villages and schools.

In response, the Hangzhou Wildlife Zoo issued an official apology. The zoo explained, "Since the leopards are young, we believed their aggression was weak and that they would not pose a significant danger," adding, "We decided not to announce the escape to avoid causing unnecessary fear." However, the reaction from Chinese netizens was cold, with comments such as "Leopards are clearly dangerous predators" and "Are you treating them like cats just because they are young?"

Meanwhile, park officials who concealed the escape are reportedly under investigation by authorities. The authorities estimate that the leopards escaped on May 1, but the exact escape route remains unclear.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.