Dallas Zoo Groundhog Day has come three weeks early, but it’s here – again. The Dallas Zoo has lost a clouded leopard from its enclosure at the South Dallas zoo.
The zoo is closed while authorities work to locate the animal.
Dallas Police are currently assisting in locating the animal. Due to restrictions by Chief Garcia it is unclear how many officers are involved.
Zoo keepers are the zoo discovered damage to her enclosure. They believe the clouded leopard, named Nova, escaped. There has been some discussion she was stolen from the zoo.
Harrison Edell, the zoo’s vice president of animal care and conservation, delivered a statement. This came after the zoo initiated a “Code Blue.”
Edell said, “the cat that we’re looking for is about 20 pounds – between 20 and 25 pounds. She does not pose a danger to humans. And more likely than not, when she’s scared, she’s going to climb a tree, stay out of our way, hunt some squirrels and birds and hope not to be noticed.”
Dallas Zoo Groundhog Day – Another Embarrassment For Dallas
Since 2013 nearly hundreds of animals have died in the hands of Dallas Zoo staff. This includes multiple giraffes – leading to a SNL skit, a Silverback gorilla, and a zebra.
It is unclear if other local media will give another pass to continuing issues at our zoo or if they will sit on the sidelines criticizing questions of accountability.
In 2009, Dallas City Council members voted unanimously to turn management of zoo.
At the time the move was hailed for saving he city $1.5 M per year. Supporters said it would lead to increased donation, but there were concerns at the time over the speed the plan was presented and advanced.
Additionally, the public’s access to the zoo and zoo records was curtailed.
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