Twiggy the panther, Congo the hippo, and other animals that escaped their homes at Singapore Zoo


In March 1973, just months before the Singapore Zoo opened in June that year, a three-year-old black panther named Twiggy slipped out of its cage, even though its cage was securely locked.

Nearly 200 police troopers and Singapore Armed Forces sharpshooters combed the forest reserve area near the zoo in a bid to recapture it.

Twiggy was eventually spotted in a monsoon drain near the former Singapore Turf Club in Bukit Timah in January 1974, where it suffocated to death during an attempt to scare it into nets using fire.

2. Sun bears, 1973

Two sun bears escaped from their cage the day before Twiggy vanished. Investigations showed that one of the cage bars was forced apart and the bears squeezed out through a narrow opening.

One bear was recaptured immediately, while the other died after being shot 45m away from the cage after a search, the duration of which was not specified.

3. Hippopotamus, 1974



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