A lovely Sunday at the Indianapolis Zoo was interrupted for an hour this morning, as the zoo’s cheetah got away from its handlers and escaped a holding area. Justin L. Mack of the Indianapolis Star reported the escape, which put the zoo on lockdown.
Fortunately, the cheetah was only on the loose for an hour, and was tranquilized before being returned to its enclosure.
We want to assure everyone that all of our guests and our staff staff are safe. All of our cheetahs are safe in holding off exhibit.
— Indianapolis Zoo (@IndianapolisZoo) September 6, 2015
One can only imagine what it must have been like at the zoo. Sure, the cheetah was semi-socialized and used to people being around it and thus not entirely wild and feral, but this is still a jungle cat that has been clocked at running at speeds greater than 60 miles per hour. If it’s on the loose in a human environment like a city zoo, it’s going to be terrifying for everyone on lockdown!
Fortunately, former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck offered his own take on it to add some humor to the situation.
Don't worry, you don't have to outrun the cheetah– just outrun the slowest person you're with. pic.twitter.com/CKdJAf1yGQ
— Matt Hasselbeck (@Hasselbeck) September 6, 2015