Greenville Zoo staff tranquilized Irina, a four-year-old Amur leopard, after she escaped her exhibit Thursday morning and was loose on the grounds around 8:42 a.m. Staff returned her to a secured den about 40 minutes later, after guests and employees were evacuated as a precaution.
Greenville police at Cleveland Park
Greenville police and city staff set up a perimeter around the zoo and in the Cleveland Park area while emergency teams worked to reach the animal. Irina was tranquilized at approximately 9:20, then given a precautionary second injection before she was moved back into the leopard den.
The Greenville Zoo closure
The zoo’s male leopard and two cubs stayed safe inside their exhibit during the response. The Greenville Zoo remained closed while staff investigated the escape, which leaves the immediate question of how Irina got out of her enclosure.
Irina arrived at the Greenville Zoo from St. Louis in Oct. 2024, when she was two years old. She later gave birth to twin cubs on May 17, 2026. Amur leopards are critically endangered, and fewer than 150 remain in the wild.
