Missing clouded leopard found safe at Dallas Zoo; criminal investigation ongoing - FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth

DALLAS - A clouded leopard that went missing from its Dallas Zoo grounds has been recovered harmless aft constabulary accidental idiosyncratic intentionally created a teardrop successful its enclosure.

The zoo says the carnal named Nova was recovered astir 4:40 p.m. Friday connected zoo grounds successful a histrion adjacent her archetypal habitat. Officials accidental she was safely secured and did not look to beryllium hurt, but she volition beryllium evaluated by a vet.

Meanwhile, constabulary accidental they are launching a transgression probe surrounding the cat's escape.

The zoo connected Friday recovered a teardrop successful the outer mesh that surrounds the habitat. They accidental the teardrop is suspicious.

Officials accidental it was hard uncovering her due to the fact that clouded leopards similar to beryllium up successful trees.

The Dallas Zoo is closed Friday due to the fact that of Nova's escape. She is 1 of the zoo’s 2 4-year-old clouded leopard sisters.

Harrison Edell, the zoo’s vice president of carnal attraction and conservation, said Nova was not successful her situation erstwhile the squad checked connected her successful the morning. Caretakers discovered a teardrop successful the mesh of the enclosure and worked nether the presumption the carnal escaped.

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Police accidental the breach appears to beryllium intentional and person launched a transgression investigation.

"We bash cognize the obstruction that it escaped from was intentionally cut," said Dallas Police Sgt. Warren Mitchell.

It was wide this situation failure, it wasn’t an grounds failure, and it wasn't keeper error," said Dallas Zoo CEO Greg Hudson. "We are afloat cooperating with DPD and their progressive probe of this."

Police didn’t accidental overmuch astir wherefore they judge the harm to Nova’s enclosure was intentional. At this time, there’s nary fishy description. Zoo officials accidental they person turned implicit camera footage to search.

And portion it’s not wide whether anyone intended to instrumentality Nova, zoo officials were wide that nary 1 should effort to rise these animals arsenic pets.

"We walk a batch of clip interacting with our guests and trying to explicate wherefore chaotic animals are not pets," Edell said. "This is not a pet. But determination are ever going to beryllium folks who are convinced they privation to springiness it a try."

Edell said clouded leopards are not similar different leopards, and Nova was not a menace to humans. 

Edell said Nova is precise attached to her sister and her territory, truthful that's wherefore she didn't spell excessively far.

The Irving Police Department assisted successful the hunt with an infrared drone.

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FOX 4 spectator Kendall Jarman shared pictures of immoderate officers successful tactical cogwheel astatine the zoo’s entrance. She tried to sojourn the zoo Friday greeting and was turned distant earlier it opened. 

The Dallas Zoo said it volition supply different update connected the animal's information connected Saturday.