Two Lions Run Lose After Escaping Their Cages In Singapore's Changi Airport

The Changi Airport in Singapore faced a scary wildlife situation on Sunday, Dec. 12, when two lions that were being shipped to an unnamed overseas facility escaped, causing a stand-off between airport employees and the carnivorous beasts.

Two lions reportedly broke free from their cages, with one lion going so far as to perch itself on top of its container after escaping. This caused a stand-off between the staff of the airport and the lions, though Singapore Airlines, who were handling the shipment, said that this did not severely hamper their operations that day, according to the Strait Times.

The two lions were eventually tranquilized, and the airline gave the two lions to the care of the local Mandai Wildlife Group, whose expertise is caring for carnivores. They are currently monitoring the animals to ensure their health before they are shipped off, the New York Daily News reported.

Part of a seven-lion group being shipped to and from two undisclosed places, Singapore Airlines has reassured the public of its commitment to the health and safety of the public as well as the animals.

“While the incident is being investigated, the immediate priority is the lions' well-being,” they said in a statement. “[Singapore Airlines] is working with Mandai Wildlife Group, which operates Singapore's only wildlife facility that is equipped to look after large carnivores, on this.”

Singapore, which has a history of animal conservation with its eponymous zoo, has had a swatch of animal-related incidents these past few years that have stemmed from escaping animals or aggressive animals.

Just on Friday, British man Graham George Spencer was attacked by 20 otters while he was walking through a park in Singapore, causing him to receive 26 bites across his legs, ankles, and lower body, according to the Daily Beast.

Among other incidents, in 2020, a horse named Cocorita escaped its enclosure in Paisano Polo Academy and was seen next to cars near a junction; and in 2019, a bull escaped a farm and was loose for over 14 hours after it was reported to have escaped.