The Great Escape: A Look at Daring Escapes of Animals and Humans
On the morning of 17th October 2018, visitors at the London zoo were in for a surprise as they witnessed the daring escape of a female Sumatran Orangutan, named Karta. Karta, who had been living at the zoo since 2015, had managed to break free from her enclosure and climb up to the roof of the nearby restaurant, where she had settled comfortably.
The Great Escape of 1943
Although it may seem unusual, animals escaping from zoos are not unheard of. In fact, The Great Escape of Karta was just one of the many such incidents reported over the years. Such daring escapes of animals are often attributed to the animals’ natural instincts or unintentional flaws in their enclosures. Such incidents tell the story of the lockdown, the rescue attempt and the panic ensued by these occurrences.
One such escape incident that gained worldwide attention was The Great Escape from the Nazi’s POW camp in Stalag Luft III in 1943. The daring attempt by Allied prisoners to escape from the camp through a tunnel dug out from beneath the camp’s toilet was regarded as one of the most audacious escapes in history.
The Great Escape of the Zoo Animals
Zoo escapes have also been the subject of various films and documentaries. One of the most famous stories of animals breaking out from a zoo was reported in 2011 when dozens of animals from Zanesville, Ohio’s private animal preserve escaped. The owner of the preserve had released the animals, including lions, tigers, bears, and more, before committing suicide.
In 2017, a male European Lynx named Flaviu, made a great escape from the Dartmoor Zoo in southwest England. Despite efforts to track and capture him, Flaviu managed to elude staff and local authorities for two weeks before finally being caught.
The escape of Karta, the Sumatran Orangutan at the London Zoo, brought attention to the sensitive issue of keeping animals captive in zoos. Although the ordeal of Karta’s escape ended without incident (the zoo staff eventually lured Karta down with food), it did manage to stir public awareness of the conditions of animal enclosures in zoos. The incident also demonstrated the determination of animals to seek out their freedom, a natural instinct that cannot be suppressed.
Conclusion
While human beings may have a fascination with animals and their ways of life, capturing them and keeping them in enclosed spaces is not the ideal solution for our entertainment. It is evident that animals have the natural instinct to roam free and seek out their own lives, and captivity only hinders that process. Karta’s daring escape reminds us of this very fact, and reinforces the need for organizations to maintain the highest levels of care and respect towards the freedom of animals in captivity.
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