The Greenville Zoo said Thursday that an Amur leopard escaped from its enclosure and briefly roamed the zoo grounds before being safely contained.
According to the zoo, the animal was Irina, a 4-year-old Amur leopard. Officials said she left her exhibit Thursday morning and was loose inside the zoo while staff responded.
The leopard was tranquilized at about 9:20 a.m. and returned to her enclosure, the zoo said. Greenville officials also confirmed the zoo’s opening was delayed and that Cleveland Park was closed to the public while police and zookeepers handled the situation.
The zoo said it would remain closed for the rest of Thursday as officials investigated how the escape happened. In a statement provided to WYFF-TV, the zoo said the animal was inside the zoo walls and that police and firefighters were on scene to keep the public at a safe distance.
