Dallas Zoo closes, issues ‘code blue’ for missing clouded leopard - The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Zoo closed Friday due to the fact that of “a superior situation” involving a missing clouded leopard.

The zoo said it issued a “code blue” astatine 10:20 a.m., adding the Dallas Police Department was onsite trying to find the “non-dangerous” cat, 4-year-old Nova, who was unaccounted for erstwhile unit checked her situation earlier Friday morning.

“Given the quality of these animals, we judge the carnal is inactive connected grounds and hiding,” the zoo wrote successful a tweet.

Luna and Nova remainder unneurotic wrong their situation astatine the Dallas Zoo connected Sept. 8, 2021.(Lola Gomez / Staff Photographer)

Looking to the trees

Harrison Edell, the zoo’s enforcement vice president for carnal attraction and conservation, said during a quality league that zoo unit recovered a teardrop successful the mesh surrounding Nova’s enclosure and are “spending a batch of clip with binoculars” looking for her successful adjacent trees.

Dallas constabulary provided infrared drones to assistance successful the search. SWAT was besides deployed arsenic a precaution, constabulary said.

“More apt than not … she’s going to ascent a tree, enactment retired of our way, hunt immoderate squirrels and birds and anticipation not to beryllium noticed,” helium said, adding that Nova does not airs a information to humans.

Dallas constabulary officers enactment the country astatine the Dallas Zoo connected Friday greeting aft a clouded leopard escaped its habitat.(Shakfat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

Edell declined to remark connected specifics of erstwhile the zoo discovered Nova was missing, but said the unit checks enclosures aggregate times a day, starting with a caput number of each carnal “first happening successful the morning.”

If Nova makes it disconnected zoo grounds, Edell said nary 1 should effort to drawback her, but alternatively should nonstop photos and tips to the zoo astatine 469-554-7501, info@dallaszoo.com oregon on Twitter.

From Houston to Dallas

The Dallas Zoo had ne'er housed clouded leopards earlier September 2021, erstwhile 2 sisters, Nova and Luna, made their nationalist debut aft a determination from the Houston Zoo.

Clouded leopards — named for the large, cloudlike spots that screen their bodies — basal lone a mates feet gangly and are a fewer feet long, Sara Bjerklie, an adjunct zoological manager astatine the zoo, previously told The Dallas Morning News.

Bjerklie said they’re inactive arsenic fierce arsenic bigger predators, with canine teeth that tin turn to much than 2 inches long, and the largest canine-to-skull ratio of each cats.

Of the 2 leopards, Bjerklie described Nova arsenic much “standoffish.”