Four-month-old Amur tigress missing after escaping Mykolaiv zoo fence

A four-month-old Amur tigress has disappeared from the Mykolaiv Zoo grounds. The animal escaped into the wild on the night leading into October 25 by climbing over the fence bars. Its current location remains unknown, despite active search operations that began in the morning.

Circumstances of the escape and animal characteristics

The facility director, Volodymyr Topchiy, reported on the emergency situation. According to him, the incident occurred on the night leading into October 25. The circumstances of how the tiger cub managed to get out of the enclosure have been established: the animal climbed over the fence.

The missing tigress is approximately four and a half months old. In size, it is comparable to an adult spaniel.

Progress of search operations

A systematic inspection of the area began at 08:00. Zoo staff walked through all accessible areas, attempting to find traces of the predator. To increase the effectiveness of the search, a cynologist with hunting dogs was brought in.

However, as of the afternoon of 25 October, the animal had still not been found. Volodymyr Topchiy suggested that the cub had likely become frightened and was hiding, which significantly complicates the search process.

"Тигреняті страшно, десь сховалося. Пошуки продовжуються. Дякуємо за допомогу", — написав Володимир Топчий у Facebook. ("The tiger cub is scared and has hidden somewhere. The search is continuing. Thank you for your help," — Volodymyr Topchiy wrote on Facebook.)

Plans for the night and the following day

Active searches on 25 October were suspended due to staff fatigue after prolonged work. Search operations are planned to resume on the morning of 26 October.

The zoo grounds will be left illuminated overnight. If the tiger cub emerges from its hiding place, security will immediately notify staff, who will be able to retrieve it.

Origin of the tiger cubs

The missing animal arrived in Mykolaiv on 21 October together with a same-aged companion. The two Amur tiger cubs, aged four and a half months, were born at the Limpopo Zoo in Lviv Oblast. It is currently unknown when the escapee will be found, but the search will continue.