No, lions didn't escape Indianapolis Zoo. The real origins of that photo on social media
No lions have escaped from the Indianapolis Zoo this week, or any zoo for that matter.
A post started circulating Wednesday on Facebook claiming that two escaped lions from the Nashville Zoo were spotted on a trail camera. The post was shared thousands of times and led to a chain of misinformation.
Did lions escape from the Nashville Zoo?
No, the Nashville Zoo does not have any lions. The local news station in Nashville, WSMV 4, confirmed Wednesday that the photo is not of any escaped animals from their zoo.
The Nashville Zoo let WSMV 4 know they do not have any lions. They also shared they were searching for the man who posted the photo to ask him to take it down.
Did lions escape from the Indianapolis Zoo?
No, the lions in the photograph are not from the Indianapolis Zoo either. A post shared on a Facebook page Wednesday evening had gathered more than 20,000 shares by 9:15 a.m. Thursday.
The photo in both posts shows a male and female lion; there is currently no male lion in Indianapolis, Emily Garrett, director of Public Relations for the Indianapolis Zoo told IndyStar Thursday.
Enzi, the male lion who visitors may remember seeing over the last few years, is now at the Honolulu Zoo and has been since May.
Enzi is the son of the lions Nyack and Zuri, who killed Nyack in 2018.
"All of our animals are safe and sound," Garrett said.
More: Lioness kills lion at Indianapolis Zoo: 'That's the way they kill their prey,' expert says
Where did the lion photo come from?
A reverse image search revealed that the photo is from a wildlife camera in South Africa. The photo was shared by Wildlife ACT, a conservation group that monitors wildlife, like the lions in the photo.
On May 26, 2015, the photo was shared on their blog.
The motive of the individual who shared the photo on Facebook is unknown, but it is important to remember you can't believe everything you see shared on social media.
Lions have escaped a zoo in recent history, but it was in Australia
Yes, on Nov. 2, 2022 four lion cubs and an adult male lion escaped their enclosure at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.
The zoo went into lockdown and staff and visitors sheltered until the lions were returned to their enclosure.
If an animal really did escape from the zoo, how would you know?
Garrett shared that if an animal were to escape, the Indianapolis Zoo would be working closely with law enforcement to prioritize public safety.
The zoo would proactively share information with news outlets to make sure the public was informed about the situation.
Next time you see a Facebook post about an escaped zoo animal, be sure to check your local news outlets to confirm whether it is true.
Katie Wiseman is a trending and breaking news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Zoo: Lions did not escape. Where the rumor started.
