Buzz
While news outlets often highlight prison escapes, as they are seen as a significant threat to public safety, there are certain animals whose escapes are just as, if not more, alarming than human breakouts.
It’s more common than one might imagine for animals to break out of zoos, shelters, and even pet stores. The main reason is typically human error, although there have been instances where humans intentionally assisted in these escapes, or the animals themselves devised clever means of breaking free.
Although many animal breakouts involve relatively harmless species, this list highlights some of the more menacing creatures that have managed to escape their enclosures.
10. Eagle
In 1965, a golden eagle named Goldie made a daring escape from the Regent’s Park Zoo in London. After spending five years at the zoo, Goldie managed to break free while workers were cleaning its cage.
Goldie captured the nation's attention during its 12-day escape. The zoo received a flood of calls and letters offering tips on how to catch the bird. A crowd of around 1,000 people gathered to witness zoo staff, police, firefighters, and even a BBC reporter attempt to recapture the eagle. The navy was even consulted for supplies, including a net and rifles capable of firing a line.
The eagle was finally caught by the deputy head keeper, who used a dead rabbit tied to a rope to lure it in. The keeper quietly approached and caught Goldie with his bare hands. Afterward, Goldie was declared uninjured and returned to the zoo, where attendance soared in the days following the incident.
While on the run, the predatory eagle attacked a duck in the American ambassador’s garden and even attacked two terriers, though the crowd watching intervened to protect the dogs. Later that year, Goldie managed to escape again, but was quickly recaptured within four days.
9. Takin
Takins are native to Bhutan, Myanmar, northern India, and southern China. They are typically found in mountainous regions with elevations ranging from 1,500 to 3,600 meters (4,900 to 11,800 feet). Sadly, their numbers in the wild are dwindling due to hunting.
In May 2018, a 363-kilogram (800 lb) takin broke out of a Rhode Island zoo. The animal caused a commotion as it charged through the grounds for an hour before being captured and sedated. Two zoo employees suffered minor injuries, which were treated on-site.
The takin's escape occurred early in the morning, before the zoo had opened its doors to visitors. It seemed the incident was triggered when a veterinary team arrived to perform a routine hoof check. The takin repeatedly rammed reinforced doors until it finally broke free, wandering around the zoo grounds.
The takin arrived at the zoo in 2012 and had never attempted to escape before. On a regular day, the zoo might have been packed with a couple thousand visitors. Zoo officials reassured the press, explaining that had the zoo been open at the time, visitors would have been directed to safety in security buildings.
8. Python
While most animals that break free from captivity don't cause much harm before being caught again, this was not the case with an African rock python that escaped from a pet shop in Canada in 2013.
The 4.3-meter (14 ft) snake strangled two young brothers, ages five and seven, by sneaking into their room through the ventilation system. The children were staying at their friend’s apartment, located above the Reptile Ocean shop in Campbellton, New Brunswick.
The following morning, Mr. Savoie, the father of the children’s friend and the shop owner, discovered the boys' bodies. His own son had slept in a separate room and was unharmed. Savoie, devastated, expressed that he considered the children as his own.
7. Crocodile
Crocodiles are generally considered one of the least likely animals to escape captivity. Their large size and slow movement on land make it hard for them to slip away unnoticed. However, when nature intervenes, anything can happen.
At the start of 2017, no fewer than 10 crocodiles managed to escape a zoo after Southern Thailand was struck by severe flooding. Some of these crocodiles were as long as 5 meters (16.4 feet). It was also reported that several deer and rare bird species had escaped as well.
Authorities urged locals to exercise caution around deeper waters. Efforts to find the crocodiles were hindered by fluctuating water levels.
The flood impacted nearly a million people, submerging thousands of villages and resulting in at least 18 deaths. The armed forces stepped in to provide shelter, distribute emergency aid, and evacuate those affected. Two helicopters were deployed to deliver food to people trapped in their homes.
6. Wolf
In January 2018, a Berkshire wolf named Torak escaped from the Wolf Conservation Trust’s grounds after strong winds damaged his enclosure. However, the sanctuary suspects that someone may have deliberately left the gate open.
Torak was captured six hours later. Authorities reported that the wolf had traveled about 13 kilometers (8 miles) before being found near a motorway. An animal capture expert tracking Torak warned that the police would have shot the wolf if it had ventured onto the highway.
Teresa Palmer, the sanctuary’s founder, helped in the recapture. She suggested that someone might have deliberately left the gate open, as many people oppose keeping animals in captivity.
In a separate incident, a wolf that escaped from the Cotswold Wildlife Park in 2017 wasn't as fortunate. Visitors to the Oxfordshire park were instructed to stay inside after a three-year-old wolf named Ember managed to slip past the perimeter fence.
Staff tried to tranquilize Ember, but the wolf was out of range and dangerously close to a busy road. The park officials later described the decision to shoot Ember as a heartbreaking last resort. Earlier in the same year, Ember had given birth to five cubs, marking the first wolf births in the park's 47-year history.
Ember’s death sparked widespread criticism, but the Cotswold Wildlife Park defended their actions, stating that it was the only option to ensure the safety of both visitors and the general public.
5. Gorilla
In 2016, a silverback gorilla named Kumbuka managed to escape from the London Zoo through an open cage door. The zoo chose not to disclose further details but confirmed that the gorilla did not break any glass or force its way out of the enclosure.
Despite being described as a “gentle giant,” visitors were instructed to seek shelter in nearby buildings when the 184-kilogram (406 lb) gorilla escaped. Armed police were called in to locate and tranquilize Kumbuka.
Kumbuka was tranquilized and returned to its enclosure within half an hour. Thankfully, no one was injured during the escape, and the zoo reassured the public that none of the visitors had been at risk, as the gorilla had never left the staff-only area.
The only damage caused by Kumbuka’s escape was the loss of 5 liters (1.3 gallons) of undiluted blackcurrant squash, which the gorilla drank in the staff-only service corridor.
4. Elephant
It's not something you'd expect to see in the heart of a city: an elephant casually wandering outside your window. But that was the reality for residents near a circus in Baraboo, Wisconsin, during the summer of 2017.
Kelly, a 3,810-kilogram (8,400 lb) Asian elephant, made her great escape from the circus and headed straight for some nearby plants. Her stroll down the block was met with surprised screams from the neighborhood.
As it turned out, Kelly’s escape was facilitated by Isla, another elephant with a curious fascination for anything shiny, including the bolts that held their enclosure together. Isla managed to loosen a few bolts from a latch, creating the opportunity for Kelly to break free.
While Isla remained in place, Kelly seized her chance for an early meal. The large elephant quietly slipped away and began feasting on the surrounding greenery.
Kelly’s trainer simply called her name, and that was enough to get the elephant back to her enclosure. It didn’t take long for Kelly to wander back to the circus, munching on a few more plants along the way.
3. Lion
People often grow accustomed to their routines, even if those routines are dangerous. However, losing one’s sense of caution can sometimes have deadly consequences, particularly when dealing with wild animals.
In 2015, a 65-year-old man made the mistake of turning his back on the lion while cleaning its cage at a zoo in China. The lion seized the opportunity and attacked him, biting into his shoulder and neck. The man later succumbed to his injuries.
Following its escape, the lion wandered through the park for over an hour as local authorities and special forces were deployed. The entrance to the park was secured with steel barriers while zoo staff and visitors were evacuated. To ensure public safety, police ultimately shot the lion. The park resumed operations later in the afternoon.
The news spread rapidly across Chinese media and online forums, with many questioning the zoo's decision to kill the lion. There was also concern regarding the animals' living conditions. Animal rights groups had previously criticized the zoo’s safety measures after discovering that some cages were rusting and deteriorating. Following the incident, an official assured that necessary repairs and cleanup would be carried out.
2. Tiger
Predators that are both large and agile, such as tigers, can be extremely dangerous. Tigers are among the most common animals to injure or kill humans after escaping captivity.
In the summer of 2015, a flood in Tbilisi, Georgia, unleashed hundreds of wild animals from a zoo. Among those animals was a tiger, which killed a man in a warehouse before being subdued by the police. The 43-year-old victim was attacked in the throat and died before reaching the hospital.
Another tiger escape happened at the San Francisco Zoo in 2007, where a tiger mauled three visitors, one of whom died from the attack. Police suspected that the men who were attacked might have provoked the tiger. Investigators later discovered a shoe and some blood inside the tiger's enclosure, which led them to believe that a leg or board might have been used to help the tiger escape.
The 4.6-meter-wide (15 ft) protective moat surrounding the tiger enclosure was too wide for the animal to jump across in one leap. However, investigators thought that dangling legs into the enclosure might have helped the tiger make the leap.
1. Bear
In 2017, a bear named Taps escaped from a zoo in Osnabrueck, Germany. The zoo staff acted quickly and shot the bear before it could cause any harm. Police were called in to help evacuate the area and investigate the circumstances surrounding the bear's escape.
Taps, a cappuccino bear with a brown bear father and a polar bear mother, managed to escape through a hole in its enclosure. Visitors were promptly moved to the monkey house for safety. A second bear inside the zoo remained safely in its enclosure.
Andreas Busemann, the zoo's director, explained that the staff had no choice but to take immediate action to ensure the safety of visitors. They shot the bear before the police arrived to handle the situation.
