Punish park for hiding facts on escape of leopards

Hangzhou Safari Park in the capital of Zhejiang province is in the news these days for all the wrong reasons: trying to cover up its failures.

On Thursday and Friday, the local police received calls from alarmed residents saying they had sighted a leopard in their neighborhood. The park authorities initially denied any knowledge about any leopards on the loose, but on Friday evening they admitted that three leopards had indeed fled the park.

At a news briefing on Monday, local government authorities gave further details: the leopards fled the park on April 19 and the police had detained five suspects, including the park's corporate representative and chief manager.

Two of the leopards have now been caught while the third is missing.

The incident highlights the park authorities' negligence. A resident froze with fright on coming face-to-face with one of the leopards, which itself looked amazed, but managed to capture it on his mobile phone as evidence.

Had the park not concealed the fact, a hunt could have been organized earlier and the leopards caught and returned to the park. The park authorities should be held responsible for the dangers they have exposed the public and the animals to by not only failing to take care of the leopards, but also concealing information about their escape from the park.

Perhaps the authorities concealed the information fearing negative publicity would harm the flow of tourists and revenue during the five-day May Day holiday: the park received 100,000 visitors during the holiday. It is shocking that the park officials prioritized revenue over tourists' safety, more so when many of the visitors to the park are children.

When captured, the second leopard appeared frail, making one worry about the condition of the third. Who knows if it is still alive. We can only hope that it is found soon－before attacking anyone－and the park management gets its deserved penalty.