Cheetah briefly escapes from enclosure at Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo had a close call Sunday, when a cheetah bolted from his enclosure.

Pounce, a four-year-old male on loan from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, was found an hour later in an area with abundant landscaping, the Los Angeles Times reports, and was hit with a tranquilizer dart. Pounce took off, returning to his exhibit, and was unconscious three minutes later.

Although the zoo had to go into Code Red mode and move visitors to safe zones, no one was ever in any danger, a zoo spokeswoman said, and officials are now trying to figure out how Pounce got loose. Cheetahs are known for their speed — they can reach 60 mph in three seconds — but are not aggressive. Along with his brother Zephyr, Pounce is part of the Race-A-Cheetah exhibit, where guests pay 50 cents to see if they can somehow defy the odds and run faster than the brothers.

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