Stray Leopard Captured Following Entry into Indonesian Hotel

A leopard was captured on Monday after straying into a hotel complex in Bandung, the capital of West Java, one of Indonesia’s busiest holiday destinations. The incident caused panic among guests when the big cat was spotted outside a second-floor guest room in the morning.

Hotel staff quickly alerted firefighters, who contacted the local conservation agency for assistance.

“We used a tranquiliser, and at around 10 a.m. the leopard was taken out of the hotel,” said Agus Arianto, head of West Java’s conservation agency.

Authorities are investigating whether the animal is the same leopard that escaped from a nearby zoo in late August, located about five kilometres from the hotel.

“Currently, the leopard is slowly regaining consciousness and has started to growl,” Agus added, noting that it will be transferred to a conservation facility for observation.

Indonesia has recorded similar incidents in the past. In 2021, two Bengal tigers escaped from a zoo in Singkawang, West Kalimantan, after heavy rainfall damaged their enclosure. The escape left a zookeeper and several animals dead. While one tiger was killed, the other was recaptured alive.

The incident has renewed attention on Indonesia’s zoos, which have long faced criticism over animal welfare concerns and weak safety measures.