A pair of lions escaped their cages at Singapore Changi Airport while being taken onto a plane.
The two lions escaped from their cages while they were on the apron. Eight lions were being transported under the care of Singapore Airlines. However, the airline didn’t mention where the big cats were being shipped to or from.
The airline was forced to call in expert veterinary and carnivore teams to deal with the panic situation. The two big cats were eventually sedated and cared for by Mandai Wildlife Group, the owners of Singapore Zoo.
The lions were shot with a tranquillizer gun to be safely transported to the animal quarantine facility, as reported by a Mandai Wildlife Group spokesman.
An airline spokesperson said that the lions remained secured by a safety netting. There was no disruption to flight operations, and none of the Singapore Airlines flights was delayed.
In a statement, Singapore Airlines said:
“While the incident is being investigated, the immediate priority is the lions’ well-being. SIA is working with Mandai Wildlife Group, which operates Singapore’s only wildlife facility that is equipped to look after large carnivores, on this.”
Feature Image: ” Rizwan Tabassum via AFP”