There are lions roaming the streets of South Africa. Sometimes we even spot elephants casually strolling past our offices… If you believed that, you’re not the only one. But I’m here to tell you it isn’t true. Wild animals don’t just walk around our cities, while locals look on unperturbed. If you want to spot our Big Five, you’ll need to book a safari and visit one of the country’s many game reserves or national parks. And even then, it’s not a given that you’ll be fortunate enough to sight all, or even some, of them.

That said, I’d be lying if I said wild animals have never been spotted on our streets. Just last year, a hippo was caught on camera, roaming a Cape Flats residential area at night. He'd escaped through the fence of a nearby nature reserve. In 2019, 14 lions busted out of the Kruger National Park, sending some locals into a panic as authorities launched a massive search. And when it was announced in 2021 that over 100 crocodiles were on the loose not far from Cape Town after getting out of a breeding facility... it's safe to say many people steered cleared of the river the crocs were believed to be cruising down.

But wild animal escapees aren't confined to Africa. People have been sharing the times they've spotted animals on the loose, like the family of bears taking a dip in a pool in Pasadena, or the mountain lion that was seen trying to enter a casino in Nevada. Bored Panda has put together a list of our favorites. Let us know yours by upvoting them. You'll find more stories about wild animal escapes between the pictures, why conservationists believe it happens and what to do if you ever come face-to-face with a lion.

#1 Three Bears Go For A Swim In A Pasadena Pool

If we've learned anything from Hanna-Barbera, it's that sometimes animals just want to chill out. Which is exactly what these three bears did in Pasadena, California towards the end of summer of 2016. Outside of lounging by the pool, the bears also went dumpster diving and smashed a glass door. All in all it sounds like a pretty good day to be a bear.

Image credits: BBC

If you’ve ever been to Nairobi, Kenya, you’ll know the airport is right next to a national park. That park is home to a number of wildlife species, including giraffe, leopard, zebra, buffalo, antelope, lion, black and white rhino, hippo, and crocodile. The park is fenced - but apparently, not well enough.

When I arrived in Nairobi in April 2016, I was greeted by the news that a lion had escaped from the Nairobi National Park and pounced on a man. He’d been part of a group that surrounded the wild animal. The man survived with minor injuries but the lion, unfortunately, did not.

Rangers took action “as a last resort after an escalation of the situation and a concern for public safety,” said the Kenya Wildlife Service at the time, amid public outcry about why the majestic animal wasn't darted instead.

It wasn't an isolated incident. According to CNN, another man was mauled by an escaped lion on a busy street in the city just days earlier. And the month before that, locals were in a panic after news broke that "several lions" had strolled out of the Nairobi National Park and wandered into nearby neighborhoods. They were reportedly spotted close to a hospital, and some homes before "returning" to their own. There were several other scary situations...

#2 Two Llamas Go On The Run

Nothing causes trouble like a group of llamas. First of all, that double L thing they have going on is confusing, secondly, the moment you get more than one llama running around the middle of nowhere in Arizona you've got to figure out if you're supposed to write "llllamas" or if it's still just "llamas." In the span of 24 hours, two sets of llamas escaped their confinements and raised heck in the aforementioned Arizona, and in Vermont all while the internet followed along. There was so little work done that afternoon it was almost named a bank holiday.

Image credits: FOX 10 Phoenix

Tragedy struck again last year, when a 14-year-old girl died after being carried away by a lion who had left the park. "The child was snatched from a residential compound on a ranch next to Nairobi National Park," reported the BBC. "The alarm was raised by another teenager and KWS rangers followed tracks to the nearby Mbagathi River, where they found the primary school girl's remains."

Again, there were calls for the authorities to jack up its security. The head of the WildlifeDirect conservation group, Paula Kahumbu, said more needed to be done to protect locals living around the National Park. Kahumbu urged the Kenya Wildlife Service to improve "risk assessments and ensure accurate, real-time communication of wildlife movement and behavior, especially in known high-risk areas such as Savannah Ranch." That's the area where the young girl was from.

At the same time, Kahumbu called on authorities to set up "anti-predator deterrent systems - including lights, alarms, secure fencing, and anti-predator sprays" in all lodges, camps, and residential developments where wildlife frequent.

#3 A Loose Tiger Licks A Man's Face

A young female tiger got on the loose in Conroe, Texas (a suburb of Houston) in early 2016, and instead of eating the neighborhood pets, she inspired love in at least one bystander. Jonathan Gessner says that he thought he was going to be attacked by the tiger, but when it approached him, the tiger jumped up and started licking his face. Either this is the sweetest tiger in the world or it was playing major mind games with this guy.

Image credits: Harriet Sinclair

Meanwhile, further south on the continent, authorities have their own big cat issues to deal with. In April this year, villagers in South Africa's Mpumalanga province were on high alert following news that four lions had escaped from the world-renowned Kruger National Park.

Sightings were reported in several areas, and cattle became victims. Days later, the province's Tourism and Parks Agency confirmed that the lions had been euthanized "to prevent further harm."

That same month, 27 buffaloes reportedly bolted from the Kruger National Park, and traveled around 43 miles into a local village. Needless to say, the incident sent residents into a flat spin.

“I have stayed at this village since birth and I have never seen a buffalo here hence on Monday, we were all shocked to see so many buffaloes within our shores and 'til today, I still cannot believe what we have witnessed. It is unbelievable to how so many buffaloes managed to make their way into our villages,” one local told journalists.

#4 A Monkey Drops By IKEA

We may love IKEA's wonderfully simple products, but just try visiting any of their stores on a weekend - it's a nightmare. The one thing that would actually make IKEA fun to visit would be if there were an adorable monkey walking around wearing a small fur coat (the coat is somehow distressing). In December 2012, the monkey wandered through a Canadian IKEA and became somewhat of a viral internet hit. After the monkey was rescued, its owner was fined a few hundred dollars and Darwin the IKEA monkey was sent to live with some cute little primate buddies at the Story Book Farm in Ontario.

Image credits: CNN

#5 A Giant Snake Stalks A Maine Town

Like something out of a Stephen King novel, a 10-foot long snake named Wessie haunts the Maine town of Westbrook where it's begun to attract a cult following. Wessie has a Twitter feed, obviously, and it even has its own theme song - which is actually more distressing than the idea of a giant snake slithering through a small town.

Image credits: Tony Marco

Other residents said they were scared to leave home and had kept their children out of school. One mother spoke of how she'd heard that the wild animals could be aggressive and attack people. It was for this reason she said her daughter would not be attending class.

"I am worried about what might happen to her while she is on her way to the school or what if the buffaloes decide to go near the school? I do not want to take any risks as she is the only child that I have and it is my duty to ensure that she is protected all the time,” Rachel Gadisi told reporters.

#6 A Raccoon Torments A Chicago Family

In 2016, a Chicago family was the subject of derisive torment by a local raccoon intent on making their lives a living H E double hockey sticks. According to the Karnoscak family, the raccoon is bigger than a Pekingese, and it stands on their front porch when anyone comes home, blocking them from entering their house. The most telling quote of the interview comes from 59-year-old Beatrice Karnoscak who says, "He's not afraid of us."

Image credits: Ed Komenda

In 2019, authorities told people not to panic after 14 lions got out of the Kruger National Park. This time, the lions were roaming a different province. “We need to keep in mind that we are in Limpopo, which is home to 76% of the Kruger National Park, which covers a huge area," said government spokesperson Zaid Kalla at the time.

Kalla explained that large wild animals, like elephants, use the fence of the Kruger or other wildlife facilities to scratch themselves. By doing so, they often leave gaps or push down the fence completely.

“So what often happens is that animals who have consumed the vegetation in a particular area use these damaged fences to venture outside," added Kalla. “In the case of the lions, especially considering how territorial they are, they will typically ‘escape’ through the fence, but they are not aware that they are escaping."

We can't accurately report just how many people were comforted by this thought, and did not panic, as instructed.

#7 A Big Cat Freaks Out People In Ohio

We love cats. But cats are really weird and you never know how they're going to act. That's why when people in Powell, Ohio saw a large cat walking through a backyard in September 2016, they freaked the eff out. Even when an animal specialist said that it was probably just a regular house cat that grew a few more inches than your average tabby, people were still afraid to let their children play outside just in case it was a small cougar.

Local woman Teri York was especially worried: “My first thought was I hope they catch it soon, because I knew we would be watching our grandson today and it was a beautiful day, so we would be outside and I didn’t want it near him."

Image credits: Mike McCarthy/Tom Bosco

#8 A Goat Gets Out In Tewksbury

As worried as we are about this goat that ran amuck in Tewksbury in August, 2016, it's just a fun story to say out loud: "There's a loose goat in Tewksbury." When the goat was first sighted (near Main Street and "the power lines") police posted a series of tweets letting people know that the goat wasn't dangerous and that it was just roaming the town and checking out the sights. And because the goat got loose in 2016, it immediately started a Twitter account. There's still no word on whether or not it's going to make an appearance on YouTube Red.

Image credits: Nik DeCosta-Klipa

#9 An Antelope Escapes In Devon

Animals have no idea what people are up to with their cars and highways, so it makes sense that from time to time you're going to have an antelope escape from a zoo during its rutting (mating) season to try and figure out what we're doing. Luckily, the antelope found a nice neighborhood where it could hang out and was transported back to the Paignton Zoo without any incidents. Happy rutting season!

Image credits: BBC

In 2020, South Africa's leading conservation authority, SANParks, released a statement, explaining that when they euthanize escaped lions, the decision is not taken lightly. This came after 7 "problem" lions in the Karoo National Park were put down, causing public outcry.

SANParks said in this specific case, the female lion group had left the Park before. A number of sheep from a neighboring farm had become victims. They added that the lions presented a threat to human beings. Secondly, noted the press release, "the pride had familiarised themselves with a specific area from which they escaped and one of the members of the pride had developed a habit of digging underneath fences."

Lions as a species are generally opportunistic, added SANParks. "They prefer easy prey, are extremely fast learners and could easily become habitual live-stock raiders when circumstances allow. In most instances when lions start catching livestock, they also tend to lose their fear for humans; such lions present a danger to human life."

#10 A Moose Gets Loose In Massachusetts

For all its big talk about being one of the first states, Massachusetts really is one of the most backwoods areas of the country. Case in point: In June 2016 police had to chase a juvenile moose through a neighborhood until it could be apprehended by "special environment officers" in Belmont.

Image credits: CBS Boston

#11 A Minor League Game Is Wrecked By A Sheep

We can all admit that baseball is a snooze, right? And that the only good thing about minor league baseball is that it costs less than major league baseball. That is until one brave sheep took it upon themselves to spice things up at a Batavia Muckdogs (really?) game in August 2016. The sheep, who happens to be the mascot of the State College Spikes, ran on the field and started munching the delicious grass while players took a break from playing sudoku or whatever they do to apprehend the Spikes's star player.

Image credits: Mark Hinog

#12 A Bull Takes A Trip On The M5

Of all the animals you don't want to see on the road, a bull is probably in the top five. These are animals that are bred to be as big as trucks, and there are entire sports dedicated to people trying to kill them and routinely failing. The escaped bull was in a trailer when it was involved in a minor accident and managed to escape. Police shut down the highway and instead of capturing it, they shot it dead. Come on, England!

Image credits: BBC

But many argue that it is not a matter of wild animals escaping, but rather human beings encroaching on their habitat. In the case of lions leaving the Nairobi National Park, conservationists argue that they sometime have no choice.

"As one of the fastest growing African cities, property values are increasing in Nairobi, and the park is getting encroached on by lucrative development projects," reported CNN. "The government also started building a highway through a section of the park, agitating the animals with constant noise."

#13 A Big Bird Freaks England Out

Rheas are some of the most notoriously annoying big birds in existence, and not just because their names are hard to spell. In August 2016, a pair of rheas escaped their wildlife encampment and began a Homeward Bound-esque adventure that saw one bird get captured immediately while the other made its way through the wilds of South Lanarkshire, inspiring tales of midnight sightings of a large bird darting through the grass. In the end, things turned out just fine for the bird ,who was returned to its home to live out its days with the rest of the rheas.

Image credits: BBC

#14 A Lorry Driver Spots A Loose Lion

Maybe it's too much of a knee-jerk reaction to say that England shouldn't be allowed to have zoos, but maybe they shouldn't be allowed to have zoos. Not only do an inordinate amount of animals seem to be escaping from their zoos, like this lion who went on the lam in Cornwall, but there's a possibility that there's an entire family of "big cats" living on Dartmoor and feasting on the local fauna.

Image credits: JAMES DUNN/MARK DUELL

#15 Sheep Run Loose In Spain After Their Shepherds Fall Asleep On The Job

Come on, shepherd, you had one job. In June of 2016 an entire flock of 1,300 sheep had to be rounded up by local police in Huesca, Spain after their shepherd took a catnap. The police eventually found the shepherd, and with his help, they managed to round up the flock before they made their way towards the Pyrenean uplands, where his flock will graze during the hot summer months.

Image credits: ABC News

As the South African official noted earlier in this article, lions don't even know they are "escaping." They're just living as they know best. And when they do "escape," it can sometimes spell the end of their life, depending on how nearby residents and authorities handle the situation.

“Predators don’t go around hunting people. When they see people during the day, they run away,” SANParks’ Danie Pienaar once said at a press conference. "When people try to chase the animal or run, it becomes a dangerous situation."

So what should you do if you encounter a lion in the wild, or during a safari? Keep scrolling to find out...

#16 Pigs And Sheep Party In Cambridge

Cambridge is a bookworm's party town if ever there were one, so it makes perfect sense that the stars of Animal Farm would make an appearance on its cobblestone streets. According to Cambridge News, the animals were running all over town and had to be apprehended by the police, but the next day the pigs escaped again and had to be cornered by villagers with torches. We really hope that's a colloquialism for flashlights.

Image credits: Raymond Brown

#17 Capybaras Run Away To Toronto

In what might be the cutest escape ever, two capybaras (like a hamster but much bigger) that were described as "quite shy" by their handlers somehow got out of their holding area at the High Park Zoo and ran away to Toronto. It took about a month to track down the canine-sized rodents, but the zoo staff finally captured the animals while they were grazing around the Grenadier pond area.

Image credits: CTV News

There are certain warning signs that will tell you if you've disturbed a pride or startled a lion. According to three experts interviewed by CNN, these include "low growls, eye contact on the part of the lion, defensive posturing as if it looks like it’s setting up for an attack and an erect, swaying tail."

Andre Van Kets is the co-founder and director at safari company Discover Africa. He says that those actions are usually a "warning signal.” The lion is letting you know you're coming into their territory and they want you to leave. But while they're telling you to leave, you need to be cautious of how you carry out that order. Don't turn your back and run. And here's why...

#18 A Woman Loses 14 Pet Pythons In Georgia

First of all, of course someone lost 14 pythons in the middle of Georgia. Despite the ick factor that you and the citizens of Hephzibah, Georgia are feeling right about now, just know that the woman who owned those snakes is crying herself to sleep every night that her snakes remain missing. "It's a different kind of pet, but you do grow attached to them. You do grow affectionate for them. I was in the middle of moving and a person I'm just not going to mention right now was upset at me and did it, just kind of a childish thing, and let them out."

Image credits: Christie Ethridge

Lions are faster than people. According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, they can move between 24 and 37 miles per hour for short bursts. Don't bother to try and outrun them. "Secondly, fleeing indicates to the lion you’re frightened and now possible prey, turning what might have initially been a mock charge to test you into a real attack," the experts told CNN.

Regardless of how terrified you are, they say you should stand your ground. Philip Muruthi is the chief scientist and vice president of species conservation and science of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). According to CNN, he's spent decades studying lions and other African animals out of his base in Kenya.

Walk away very slowly, advises Muruthi, adding that you should keep eye contact with the lion until you can reach a safe space or the lion loses interest.

#19 A Mountain Lion Tried To Enter A Casino In Reno, Nevada

When a 75-pound-lion tried to enter Harrah's Hotel Casino's revolving door in Reno, Nevada, in August 2012, police closed down the surrounding streets until it was tranquilized, the Daily Mail reported. It was later released back into the wild near Lake Tahoe's east shore.