Zoo Nightmare as Potentially ‘Aggressive’ Animals Escape Enclosures

More than 100 animals are still on the loose after a powerful typhoon tore through a zoo in southern China, damaging enclosures and sending potentially dangerous animals into surrounding areas.

Guigang Zoo, located in China’s Guangxi region, issued a public warning after days of heavy rain from Typhoon Maysak battered the facility and allowed dozens of animals to escape, according to Agence France-Presse.

The missing animals reportedly include zebras, ostriches, raccoons, porcupines and peacocks. Local officials with a district Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said the escape list included two raccoons, four porcupines and 30 peacocks among the more than 100 animals still unaccounted for.

Zoo officials warned residents not to treat the bizarre situation like a roadside animal rescue. Some of the escaped animals, they said, could become aggressive if startled — especially ostriches, emus and raccoons.

“If you spot any animals, please maintain a safe distance and do not attempt to catch or tease them to avoid danger,” the zoo reportedly said in a warning to the public.

The animal escape comes as Guangxi continues to deal with the deadly aftermath of Typhoon Maysak. The storm has triggered severe flooding across the region, killing at least 39 people and forcing more than 130,000 residents to evacuate.

The flooding has been so intense that entire villages have been swamped, riverside areas have disappeared under water, and local infrastructure has come under dangerous pressure. In Liulan village, residents were seen watching cleanup efforts after the Liulan reservoir collapsed on July 6 in Hengzhou city.

Guigang Zoo is not the only animal facility hit by the disaster. Around 900 snakes, including venomous cobras, reportedly escaped from a breeding farm near the southern village of Hengzhou after floodwaters washed through the facility, according to The Independent.

The massive flooding has also raised alarm across southern and central China. The South China Morning Post reported that Typhoon Maysak placed major pressure on rivers and dams throughout the region, prompting officials to upgrade a flood alert connected to the storm to red — the highest level in China’s four-tier warning system — on July 6.

Authorities said 55 rivers had risen above their warning levels as the storm system continued to wreak havoc.

For now, officials are urging residents to stay alert, keep their distance from any escaped animals, and report sightings instead of trying to handle the animals themselves.