At least in #DeepEllum all I have to worry about is getting stabbed, shot, and/or mugged. Out in the Cliff, they got clouded leopards on the loose! Still not as cool as @cobragrand #Dallas #DallasZoo pic.twitter.com/wcSSEqXZPH
— Al Prazolam (Parity) 💦🥩 (@drunk8gods) January 13, 2023
Clouded leopard located
The Dallas Police Department with a team of officers led by Sgt. Warren Mitchell joined in the nearly all-day search for Nova. And she was finally located at 4:40 p.m. cst.
The animal never left the zoo grounds which encompasses 106 acres south of the downtown area of Dallas.
“She was located very near the original habitat, and teams were able to safely secure her just before 5:15 p.m.,” the zoo tweeted Friday.
Nova’s sister, Luna was still in the enclosure when zookeepers discovered the missing leopard.
The leopards are about 4 years old, Edell said. Clouded leopards are the smallest of the leopard species, and only weigh about 25 pounds.
Clouded leopards originate from Southeast Asia and China. Males can grow to be about 50 pounds. But females are much smaller at about 25 to 35 pounds.
In the wild, the “small cats” typically eat monkeys, or small mammals. During the search for Nova, Edell expected she would be hunting squirrels.
Police investigation
The police and zoo staff believe the fence was “intentionally cut,” according to Sgt. Mitchell.
