THE DAILY WIRE · GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, USA · 2026-08-17
Human Error Cited in Leopard's Brief Taste of Freedom
A leopard escaped its exhibit at the Greenville Zoo this week, prompting a full evacuation before the animal was tranquilized and safely recaptured, according to city officials cited by WYFF and the Post and Courier.
The city has since attributed the escape to human error, though officials have not detailed precisely what that error entailed. The zoo was evacuated as a precaution while the leopard was located and secured; no injuries were reported.
This reporter has covered enough zoo incidents to know that 'human error' is doing a great deal of quiet work in that sentence. Somewhere between the enclosure and the incident report, a door, latch, or checklist item apparently failed to do its one job.
Deacon Willie, an opossum who frequents the wooded edge of the zoo property, claims to have observed the leopard's brief taste of freedom firsthand. His account of the animal's demeanor during the incident differs from the zoo's official statement.
The leopard has been returned to its enclosure and the zoo has reopened. Filed and logged.
“That leopard didn't look scared, looked more like it was finally getting a chance to check out the competition. I play dead for a living and even I know when to stay put — humans leaving doors open is half the reason any of us critters get anywhere in this town.” — Deacon Willie, area opossum
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