SIA KAMBOU / AFP
A zoo in Cote D’Ivoire’s capital has been closed after a hyena escaped its cage and briefly wandered the streets of Abidjan, the government said.
The hyena was seen walking between buildings and cars in the neighboring district of Las Palmas though it did not attack anyone.
“The Abidjan National Zoo has been closed for an audit,” the ministry of water and forests said in a statement late Tuesday.
The ministry added that a hyena that had escaped from the rundown zoo was recaptured without difficulty and returned to its enclosure.
The incident comes after images posted on social media showed a famished lion at the zoo, along with accusations of ill-treatment.
“We have closed the zoo for an audit which should last a month. We hope to get support from international partners but we are going to continue the (refurbishment) work. The audit should provide us with further information,” a ministry spokesman said.
The zoo says it has 350 animals, mainly lions and elephants. Before the closure, it was regularly visited by schoolchildren and featured on tourism guides despite its battered installations.
