Irina, the Greenville Zoo’s Amur leopard, slipped out of her exhibit early Thursday before staff tracked her down, tranquilized her and moved her into a secured den, according to local reports. The incident occurred on zoo grounds; available coverage did not describe guest evacuations, coordination with emergency teams, or any injuries. The Greenville Zoo will stay closed while staff investigate how the big cat managed to get out of her enclosure.
As reported by FOX Carolina, the animal, identified by officials as a four-year-old Amur leopard, was found elsewhere inside the zoo grounds and tranquilized before being returned to her den. The station’s video coverage showed crews working on site. FOX Carolina quoted city officials saying Irina was tranquilized and was being evaluated.
According to Greenville.com, Irina recently gave birth to two cubs on May 17 as part of the zoo’s Amur leopard breeding program. "From our observation Irina is a good mom and taking care of them," zoo director Bill Cooper told Greenville.com, which reported the cubs are being kept in a climate-controlled den and will not be handled for several weeks. The outlet noted that the birth was celebrated as an important boost to a global Species Survival Plan for one of the world’s rarest big cats.
Response and safety steps
Local coverage reported that Irina was tranquilized and was being evaluated; the reporting did not detail on-site coordination, lockdowns, or specific immobilization protocols. As FOX Carolina reports, Cleveland Park has since reopened to the public, while the Greenville Zoo remains closed for the day. Zoo officials said the facility’s other leopards stayed in their enclosures throughout the incident; available reports did not specify planned inspections of exhibit barriers or internal procedures as part of a follow-up review.
Why this matters
Amur leopards are listed as Critically Endangered, and coordinated zoo breeding programs are considered a key part of the species’ recovery, according to the EAZA Ex‑situ Programme overview. Local coverage has underscored just how rare these animals are: Greenville.com noted estimates of fewer than 150 Amur leopards left in the wild, making Greenville’s breeding work one small piece of a much larger international conservation puzzle. Past brief escapes at the Greenville Zoo are documented in public records, but reports did not specify whether the current review would examine mechanical failure, human error or animal behavior.
The zoo did not indicate whether it will share additional information or whether changes to exhibit design or handling protocols will be considered. For now, Irina and her cubs remain under veterinary care while the zoo evaluates its next steps.
