6 sentenced for leopard escape in Hangzhou

Six people were given suspended sentences of up to two years in prison on Friday, in connection with the escape of three leopards from a safari park in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province.

In April, the three leopards escaped from an animal isolation area in Hangzhou Safari Park as a result of negligence by their keepers. Two of the animals were captured and sent back to the park, but the third one remains at large.

The People's Court of Fuyang District of Hangzhou said on its official WeChat account that the court held a public trial of Zhang Dequan, Ma Jinghua, Zhang Yanfeng, Han Xiang, Ding Zengquan, and Wang Guoquan, all employees of the Hangzhou Safari Park, for misconduct and violating  operational regulations. 

Zhang Dequan, the legal representative of the safari, should take the major responsibility in this case, as he failed to implement safety steps, timely inspect and eliminate safety hazards, and concealed the accident for fear of potential economic losses and a hit to the safari's reputation.

Ma Jinghua and Zhang Yanfeng, two managers at the safari, failed to implement safety measures, detect and eliminate hidden loopholes in areas where the leopards were kept.

In late April, three young leopards escaped from an animal isolation area in Hangzhou Safari Park as a result of negligence by their keepers when they were cleaning a zone for wild animals.

On the evening of May 7, after the public called the police, the safari's authorities finally admitted that the leopards were missing.

Two of the animals were captured later and sent back to the safari, but the third one remains at large.

Fang Xiaoying contributed to this story.