There was pandemonium in Nekede, Imo state, on Monday, February 10, over the escape of a male hyena from the zoological garden and wildlife park. The General Manager of the park, Mr Francis Abioye, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria in Owerri.
It is gathered that the general manager of the park, Francis Abioye, told NAN that the animal dug a big underground hole inside the zoo, which made it possible for it to escape from the cage. Abioye said the animal was caught by wildlife experts in the zoo, six hours after it escaped.
The general manager said the escape of the hyena had created panic in Nekede. The general manager, who led the operation and aided by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) attached to the facility zoo, said that the animal was recaptured through what he called the “Physical Restricted Method”.
He expressed joy that the incident did not record any casualty. “I can confirm to you that a giant hyena escaped from its cage early this morning through an underground hole it dug but was later recaptured by experts. “The animal was able to escape from the premises through a vandalised part of the perimeter fence within the conservative area of the zoo,” he said. He advised residents of the area to go about their businesses without fear, saying that the situation had been brought under control.
This is not the first time animals have had to escape from captivity. In 2015, A four-year-old lion was shot dead after it escaped from a zoo in Jos, central Nigeria. The police say the lion was hostile during attempts to get it back to the cage and it was killed before it could harm anyone. In another related development in October 2019, a lion escaped from its cage at a zoo in Kano.
The lion was found inside a cage housing goats within the zoo premises. It was said to have killed and eaten all the goats in the cage when it was discovered. Late last year, operatives of the Lagos State Task Force succeeded in evacuating a lion found at a private home around Victoria Island of Lagos to a zoo in Omu Resorts, Lekki. The agency responded to a petition from residents while investigations revealed that the lion was brought in from Cameroon by an Indian two years ago.
