THREE LEOPARDS ESCAPE FROM CHINESE SAFARI PARK

At the beginning of the month, three leopards managed to escape from China's Hangzhou Safari Park. While this happened during one of the busiest long weekends in China, the officials at the popular tourist destination only reported it three days later.

Two of the leopards have since been found and are reportedly in good health, but the third one is still at large. The park has since been closed and drones as well as search dogs have been searching for the missing leopard.

According to the local news agency Global Times, the leopard was spotted by a drone early on Sunday, but fled when people attempted to approach it.

The park has been heavily criticised for not alerting authorities and the public earlier. The park is situated in the eastern part of China and is popular among local and international tourists.

Buzz News reports that, as the young leopards were believed to be less aggressive, the park said it did not make the announcement to prevent causing panic among the public.

Even though the park has since apologised for not announcing the incident sooner, it has been temporarily closed while it reviews safety and management issues.

Image credit: The New York Times