The clouded leopard that went missing from Dallas Zoo has been found safe and sound.
Breaking the good news, Sergeant Warren Mitchell of the Dallas Police Department confirmed that the cat which escaped its enclosure on Friday has been located following a major search.
“We are thrilled to report we located clouded leopard Nova on-grounds at the Zoo this afternoon at approximated 4:40 p.m. She was first seen very near the original habitat, and teams were able to safely secure her just before 5:15 p.m.,” the zoo revealed in a statement.
“Initial indications are she is not injured. She is being evaluated by our veterinary staff right now. We’ll provide further updates on her status tomorrow.”
Sergeant Mitchell also revealed that a criminal investigation was launched after officials discovered that the leopard was let out of her cage through a cut in the mesh.
“It is our belief that this was an intentional act,” he said.
Prior to Nova the leopard’s finding, the officials at the zoo worried that the cat might have made its way into the public.
“We have an ongoing situation at the Zoo right now with a Code Blue — that is a non-dangerous animal that is out of its habitat,” the Texas zoo shared earlier on Friday.
“One of our clouded leopards was not in its habitat when the team arrived this morning and is unaccounted for at this time.”
In one of the updates, the zoo also revealed that the grounds are being searched thoroughly and that Nova likely didn’t get very far because she is attached to her territory.
Fortunately, the cat was found uninjured and appears to be in good condition. The investigation into Nova’s disappearance continues.
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