Lions At Changi Airport Were Being Transported Overseas By SIA
Even during the pandemic, Singapore remains a popular aviation hub.
All kinds of travellers and cargo pass through Changi Airport daily, and that includes animal travellers too—even dangerous animals like lions.
On Sunday (12 Dec), 2 lions were being transported overseas when they surprisingly escaped from their cage in Changi.
Photo for illustration purposes only
Source
Thankfully, they were recaptured using a tranquilliser gun, with no harm reported to the staff or the public.
Lions were handled by SIA
The live shipment was being handled by our national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Due to the plunge in human travellers due to the pandemic, air freight has become increasingly crucial for the airline to stay afloat.
Replying to queries from MS News, an SIA spokesperson said the lions were in transit en route to a facility overseas.
They didn’t elaborate on where they were going and where they had come from.
2 lions escape cages in Changi Airport
The otherwise-ordinary process became dramatic when 2 of the lions somehow escaped from their container on Sunday (12 Dec).
One of the lions even ended up lounging on top of its cage, reported The Straits Times (ST).
A (mer)lion you might expect to see at Changi Airport
Source
SIA said they resorted to calling in Mandai Wildlife Group, which dispatched their veterinary and carnivore care teams.
Eventually, the lions were shot by a tranquilliser gun.
Lions being cared for by Mandai
Responding to MS News‘ queries, a Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson said their vets had to sedate the lions to transport them to the animal quarantine facility safely.
The lions are being monitored as they recover from anaesthesia and will remain under the group’s care for the time being.
Mandai Wildlife Group is also in close contact with SIA on the incident.
Lions remained behind safety netting
As for SIA, the carrier said that the incident was under investigation.
They assured that the lions had remained behind safety netting the entire time they were “on the loose”.
The netting was surrounding the container they were supposed to be in. SIA’s operations were also not affected by their escape.
ST reported that the shipment comprised 7 lions in total.
How did they escape?
The thought of lions running around Changi Airport is a scary thought, so kudos to the Mandai teams for recapturing them quickly.
However, a burning question the public might have is: How did they manage to escape in the first place?
In the meantime, we hope the lions will recover soon and get to where they’re supposed to go.
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Featured images adapted from African Wildlife Foundation on Facebook & MS News. For illustration purposes only.
