Animals at the Dallas Zoo Keep Mysteriously Disappearing "If you happen to see a cat that's bigger than a housecat, but smaller than a bobcat, please call us.". Thankfully,. The Dallas Zoo closed Friday morning after one of its clouded leopards went missing. Nova's habitat is located in the Zoo Northarea of the zoo not far from the Children's Zoo. Zoo officials said Nova is unharmed and under evaluation by their veterinary staff. Our focus right now is on locating the animal.. In this undated image provided by the Dallas Zoo, a clouded leopard named Nova rests on a tree limb in an enclosure. Zoo officials said at the time that the animal basically "got out of his bedroom, but was still in the house." Police killed him. Following an investigation, the same type of cut was found in the area housing the Texas zoo's langurs, a small breed of monkey. In 2004, a 13-year-old gorilla named Jabari cleared a 14-foot wall and injured four people before being shot by Dallas Police. An endangered vulture has been found dead Saturday at the Dallas Zoo with an "unusual wound," facility officials said, marking the third suspicious incident there in the last two weeks. The Dallas Zoo is seen from the air by KDFW cameras as officials look for a clouded leopard that is unaccounted for. The Dallas Zoo is investigating another "unusual" incident. The Dallas Police Department and zoo officials are scouring the grounds to recover the naturally shy animal which can be found in the wild inCentral and South East Asia. "When we initially responded to the location on a report of a missing clouded leopard, we first dispatched our SWAT officers out here not clearly understanding what a clouded leopard was. The Dallas Zoo was closed Friday while the search for the clouded leopard was underway but reopened on Saturday with Nova back in her enclosure. Nova came to the Dallas Zoo from the Houston Zoo where she was born alongside her sister. "Initial indications are she is not injured. Dallas police have deployed drones with infrared capability and zoo workers are checking surveillance footage in hopes of finding Nova. She is likely to stay linked to home as she and her sister Luna are attached at the hip," explained Edell. Zoo officials issued a "code blue" for a "non-dangerous animal that is out of its habitat," according to the zoo's Facebook page. The Zoo and our animal family appreciate your support! Criminal investigation opened after 2nd fence cut at Dallas Zoo It's unclear if the two incidents are related. Explore the Dallas Zoo Map to discover the location of your favorite animal habitats, family-friendly activities, and much more. Police continued investigating the feline's escape after Nova returned and found evidence that someone intentionally tampered with the clouded leopard's enclosure. This is it! While staffers were looking into trees from the ground, using binoculars, clouded leopards are very good at staying hidden and would be tough to spot. "We are thrilled to report we located clouded leopard Nova on-grounds at . The Dallas Police Departmentthenopened a criminal probe, and zoo staffersshowed investigators a similar intentional cut on the enclosure that houses langur monkeys, the police department confirmed toUSA TODAY on Tuesday. Stone Tables @ White Rock Lake Park Closed. The "incidents" the Dallas Zoo is referencing here are the recent escape of a clouded leopard and the discovery of cut fencing at a monkey habitat. "Clouded leopards are not a 'type' of leopard as their name implies. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. What are UAPs, and why do UFOs have a new name? Nova came to the Dallas Zoo from the Houston Zoo, where she was born alongside her sister Luna. After Dallas Zoo leopard escape, cut found in monkey habitat In 2011, Koko, a chimpanzee at the Dallas Zoo, was sedated after briefly escaping from her enclosure. According to a map of the Dallas Zoo, the gibbon habitat is adjacent to the clouded leopard habitat. Later the zoo posted a photo of a sleeping clouded leopard on a tree limb, writing the image was "for anyone in the areas surrounding the Zoo who may be curious or have concerns. After Dallas Zoo leopard escape, cut found in monkey habitat - Yahoo News MaryAnn Martinez January 13, 2023 1:19pm Updated 0 seconds of 58 secondsVolume 0% 00:00 00:58 They finally spotted spot her! / CBS Texas. A clouded leopard is relaxing in the renovated Alfred-Brehm-Haus in Berlin's zoo in 2020. Harrison Edell, vice president for animal care at the Dallas Zoo, said Friday morning that clouded leopards are dramatically different animals from other leopards. (Dallas Zoo via AP). Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Dallas police launched a criminal investigation Friday after it was determined the fence in Novas enclosure was intentionally cut, police and the zoo said. As of 1 a.m. Friday, Nova was accounted for but was missing during a head count of the animals later Friday morning, he said. Police looking into the escape of a clouded leopard from its habitat at the Dallas Zoo on Jan. 14 are saying that the animal's enclosure was intentionally tampered with and that they. Help the Dallas Zoo care for the animals, conserve native and global wildlife, and develop exemplary educational offerings. "She is being evaluated by our veterinary staff right now. A Dallas police vehicle sit at an entrance at the Dallas Zoo, early Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. A woman thrown against a wall by the gorilla was hospitalized with arm injuries. The Dallas Zoo Is Investigating an 'Unusual' Vulture Death Days - Yahoo Given the recent incidents at the Zoo, we alerted the Dallas Police Department. "They have learned to voluntarily enter a crate, so that they can be safely transported if necessary," it said at the time. Enjoy the Zoo for $1 admission on August 8. His mother, Keisha Herd, 26, was hospitalized with minor injuries. Watch: Aerials show missing clouded leopard recovered at Dallas Zoo, Clouded leopard escapes enclosure at Dallas Zoo, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, zoo records obtained by the Dallas Morning News, New Terms of Service (Updated JULY 7, 2023). This isn't the first time an animal has escaped its habitat at the zoo, CBS DFW reported. On Jan. 22 days after a clouded leopard briefly escaped from its enclosure at the Texas zoo the facility announced on Facebook that one of the endangered vultures living in the zoo's Wilds of Africa habitats was found dead. Police initially sent a SWAT team to the zoo because they were unsure about the cat's size, Mitchell said. Market data provided by Factset. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Dallas Zoo via Facebook. In 2004, a 300-pound, male gorilla named Jabari cleared a 16-foot wall and mauled four people, including a toddler. CNN A clouded leopard whose disappearance prompted the closure of the Dallas Zoo was found Friday night, zoo officials said. Pin, an adult lappet-faced vulture, died over the weekend while inside its enclosure at Texas' largest zoo, faculty there said. Police did not speculate further on who would have cut the habitat or why, but they've opened a second investigation of criminal mischief after a habitat that houses the langurs, a breed of monkey, was also found over the weekend to have been tampered with. ", A clouded leopard is relaxing in the renovated Alfred-Brehm-Haus in Berlin's zoo in 2020. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The clouded leopard, named Nova, "was located very near the original habitat, and teams were able to safely secure her just before 5:15 p.m.," the zoo tweeted. Tufani never got into a public area. On January 13, 2023, employees discovered that Nova, a four year old clouded leopard, was missing from her habitat. A missing clouded leopard was found safe Friday afternoon after she escaped from her Dallas Zoo enclosure hours earlier, zoo officials announced. Pin, an. All rights reserved. She was secured and returned to her habitat about 30 minutes later, the zoo said. Dallas Zoo: 2nd cut found in monkey habitat - NewsNation "We will continue to implement and expand our safety and security measures to whatever level necessary to keep our animals and staff safe," the zoo added before concluding the post with a promise to "provide updates as we know more.". Caretakers noticed the leopard was missing from her habitat, also notinga tear in the mesh of the enclosure that morning,Harrison Edell, executive vice president of animal care and conservation. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Legal Statement. Luckily, Nova was found unharmed and safely returned to her habitat the same day as her disappearance. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. A clouded leopard cub runs at the Mulhouse Zoo in eastern France Aug. 28, 2020. The 13-year-old gorilla escaped his walled compound and went on a rampage, snatching up a toddler with his teeth and attacking three others before officers stopped him. Vulture death, leopard escape among suspicious incidents at Dallas Zoo What is happening at the Dallas Zoo? - Deseret News If you think you see [her] please do not approach.. ", ZOO OFFERS THE PUBLIC A PEEK AT ENDANGERED SUN BEARS RESCUED FROM ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE. or redistributed. We cannot share many details until Dallas PD has had more time to look into this matter," the Dallas Zoo added in its social media post about the late vulture. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. They are primarily nocturnal and with an average life span of 12-15 years. Nova, the clouded leopard that escaped through a "suspicious" hole in. The animal was found at about 4:40 p.m. unharmed. DALLAS, Texas - A clouded leopard that was captured after escaping its enclosure at the Dallas Zoo has reunited with her sister and received the all-clear from veterinary staff on Saturday,. ", DALLAS ZOO CLOUDED LEOPARD ESCAPES, MASSIVE SEARCH UNDERWAY, A clouded leopard cub runs at the Mulhouse Zoo in eastern France Aug. 28, 2020. In this undated image provided by the Dallas Zoo, a clouded leopard named Nova rests on a tree limb in an enclosure. So if people have the opportunity to snap a photo of a cat that looks bigger than usual we'll take any tip we can get," Edell said. All rights reserved. Clouded leopards are described as a vulnerable species, the institute said, adding it is estimated that less than 10,000 mature individuals remain in the wild. First published on January 13, 2023 / 10:32 AM. ", We'll be sharing another update later early this evening, but in the meantime, for anyone in the areas surrounding the Zoo who may be curious or have concerns - pic.twitter.com/kONE800csJ. A clouded leopard whose disappearance prompted the closure of the Dallas Zoo was found Friday night, zoo officials said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Legal Statement. Become a Dallas Zoo member to get amazing benefits like FREE daily admission and parking, access to member-only events like Member Mornings, discounts throughout the Zoo, and more! This story has been shared 115,322 times. During a news conference Friday afternoon Dallas Police said that had opened a criminal investigation into the cat's disappearance after saying her enclosure appeared to have been cut rather than being torn open by the animal. DALLAS The first missing animal at the Dallas Zoo, taken or allowed to escape through a hole cut in the heavy metal mesh of her enclosure, was Nova, a 25-pound clouded leopard. "One of our clouded leopards was not in its habitat when the team arrived this morning and is unaccounted for at this time.". Your Dallas Zoos Wild Earth Action Team is on a mission to create healthy habitats for everyone, right here in Dallas. On Jan. 14, one of two clouded leopard sisters living at the zoo escaped her enclosure. Dallas, TX75203. The Dallas Zoo was closed to the public on Friday after authorities realized one of the clouded leopards had escaped its habitat and remains unaccounted for. NBC 5 News Workers at the Dallas Zoo move something in a white bag amid a search for a missing clouded leopard, a small cat that escaped from her enclosure on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Criminal investigation opened after 2nd fence cut at Dallas Zoo No langur monkeys escaped their habitat or appeared to be harmed. "If you happen to see a cat that's bigger than a housecat, but smaller than a bobcat, please call us.". Even though Nova is a small cat -- not a lion or tiger -- she still has claws and sharp teeth. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. DALLAS - A clouded leopard that went missing from its Dallas Zoo exhibit has been found safe after police say someone intentionally created a tear in its enclosure. Nova was evaluated by vet and animal care teams and returned to her habitat, where she perched on a high branch Saturday, according to the zoo. or redistributed. After that incident, the zoo beefed up security measures at the exhibit. Dallas Zoo leopard: Second fence found cut at another habitat - wfaa.com The Zoo is closed today due to a serious situation. Dallas Zoo is one of the very best things to do in Dallas The Dallas Zoo says a clouded leopard reported missing from her habitat Friday morning was found uninjured on zoo property hours later amid an ongoing investigation by Dallas Police into whether the animal's habitat was intentionally damaged. Dallas Zoo closed after leopard escapes enclosure | WFLA Dallas police and zoo officials announced earlier Friday afternoon they believe Nova, the 4-year-old clouded leopard, escaped from an opening in its enclosure that was intentionally cut. This story has been shared 548,245 times. The 4-year-old leopard was located at around 4:40 p.m. local time very near the original habitat, and teams were able to safely secure her just before 5:15 p.m., the zoo tweeted. Fri 13 Jan 2023 16.51 EST. Workers at the Dallas Zoo move something in a white bag amid a search for a missing clouded leopard, a small cat that escaped from her enclosure on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. / CBS News. In a statement on Twitter, the zoo said itsanimal care team was heartbrokenover the death of the animal, which spent muchof its life at the facility and sired 11 chicks. The disappearance of the leopard a female named Nova forced the zoo to close while zookeepers and police officers searched for the animal. The clouded leopard, named Nova, was located very near the original habitat, and teams were able to safely secure her just before 5:15 p.m., the zoo tweeted. Dallas Zoo Captures Escaped Leopard After All-Day Search - Forbes Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The following year, in 2011, the zoo declared a Code Red when an adult chimpanzee named Koko escaped through an unsecured gate in what authorities called a sort of "bedroom" area. Both Nova and Luna, who are about 4 years old, were brought to the Dallas Zoo in 2021 after being raised at the Houston Zoo, according to our partners at The Dallas Morning News. 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Escaped Dallas Zoo Clouded Leopard Found - NBC New York The Texas zoo shared on Facebook that the vulture's death "does not appear to be from natural causes," and the facility is working with the Dallas Police Department to investigate the incident. Missing clouded leopard found safe at Dallas Zoo; criminal In 2010, another gorilla named Tufani escaped a holding area when a worker left a door open. (KDFW) According to Mitchell, authorities deployed drones that were calibrated to the. We were thinking perhaps a big cat," DPD Public Information Officer Sgt. "Our focus right now is on locating the animal," the zoo said. Dallas Zoo finds missing clouded leopard on zoo grounds | CNN Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. The leopard, named Nova, was sighted very near her habitat late Friday afternoon and the zoo team was able to secure her without incident by 5:15 p.m. local time, the zoo reported on social media. According to Dallas police, investigators also found a similar cut at a habitat that enclosed langur monkeys. No details about the specific leopard, including its name, time in captivity or age have been released. Thanks for contacting us. The series of unfortunate events at the Dallas Zoo began on January 13, when a clouded leopard named Nova escaped. No injuries were reported. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Clouded leopard who escaped at Dallas Zoo is found after enclosure was cut, police say Police said Saturday a cut similar to the one in the leopard's enclosure fence was found at the. On March 11, 2016, five new African elephants arrived from Swaziland in order to escape a drought. Wild Life of Thailand described the typically nocturnal animals as "wily" and "intelligent" as "masters of their own habitat. Leopard who escaped at Dallas Zoo is found after enclosure was cut, police say As they struggle with how to make sense of it, the Dallas Zoo is promising "significant changes" to the. "These are very elusive animals. The Dallas zoo was closed on Friday as staff searched for a clouded leopard that escaped its enclosure. Edell said while Nova could be scared, if she's loose it's most likely that she climbed a tree to stay out of the way, hunt squirrels and birds and hope to not be noticed. A charging gorilla was killed by cops in 2004 after it escaped from the zoo and injured three people, including a toddler, who was bitten on his head and chest and thrown against a wall. On Jan. 14, one of two clouded leopard sisters living at the zoo escaped her enclosure. Dallas police are. Dallas Zoo officials say they have found and secured the clouded leopard that disappeared from her habitat earlier in the day. According to Mitchell, authorities deployed drones that were calibrated to the heat signature of that particular animal to aid the search. Dallas Zoo enclosure of escaped clouded leopard was "intentionally" cut Dallas Zoo. Her work has previously appeared on MTV, The Frisky, Vice, and Best Friends Magazine. From July 14 through August 31, the Zoos operating hours will be 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help our guests, animals, and staff avoid the heat of our summer days. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2013. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. A similar cut was also found at the habitat for a breed of monkey called a langur, police said. On her first birthday, before the leopards went to Dallas, the Houston institution described Luna as outgoing and Nova as reserved. The Dallas Zoo is closed as officials search for an escaped clouded leopard, Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Clouded leopards in captivity have also been described as friendly and sociable creatures. Its not the first time the Dallas Zoo had to scramble to catch a tenant that escaped from an enclosure, according to the Dallas Morning News. "The circumstances of the death are unusual, and the death does not appear to be from natural causes. Often called the "smallest of big cats," the clouded leopard isn't directly related to regular leopards, according to theSmithsonian's National Zoo Conservations & Biology Institute. A criminal mischief offense report was made [and] this is an ongoing investigation. Given the nature of these animals, we believe the animal is still on grounds and hiding, the zoo said in a tweet Friday morning. Dallas Zoo "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 located very near the original habitat, and teams were able to safely secure her just before 5:15 p.m.," a Dallas Zoo media official said. The cats are carnivores that stalk their prey from the trees and attack from above. Given the nature of these animals, we believe the animal is still on grounds and hiding.". A clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) rests inside its enclosure at Gembira Loka zoo closed for public to curb the spread of the coronavirus on May 5, 2020, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. With human care, the cats can live 17 years, the Smithsonian said. Volunteer with Us. Dallas Zoo leopard reunites with sister after escape, no injuries found Because it is winter and there are far fewer leaves on the trees, Edell said it should make finding Nova easier.