Lion Escapes From Zoo, Sparks Scare For Hours In Dhaka

A lioness escaped from a Dhaka Zoo on Friday and caused a massive scare for over two and a half hours in Bangladeshi capital until she was recaptured, zoo officials said.

Officials raised an alarm after finding 'Daisy', the lioness, was missing from her cage. They evacuated the amusement facility, crowded with visitors on the weekend, and launched a search operation.

The lioness was eventually found within the six-feet-high netted zoo compound at Mirpur area in the evening and returned to the cage after administering sedatives, an official said.

However, recapturing the lioness was a challenging task after it got dark, as initial attempts to dart her with tranquillisers failed due to the presence of trees and other obstacles in the area where she took cover.

"The lion's cage is secured by two iron-gate doors, each with its own lock. Yet, when checked following the escape, both locks were found open," Zoo Director Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Talukder told reporters.

He said the incident could be a case of sabotage, and a committee was formed tonight to investigate how the big cat came out of the cage, as "there is no broken or loose grille anywhere."

The officials said Daisy escaped the cage at around 4:45 pm, and the visitors were immediately evacuated. Currently, there are five lions in Dhaka Zoo.