Police believe release of clouded leopard from Dallas Zoo was 'an intentional act'

The search for Nova, a clouded leopard that went missing from its habitat at the Dallas Zoo, ended on Jan. 13 when the animal was found and secured.

But the search for answers is ongoing. Investigators have determined that the leopard's mesh habitat appeared cut into, not torn, prompting Dallas Police to open a criminal investigation, according to KXAS, an NBC affiliate.

"It is our belief that this was an intentional act," Sergeant Warren Mitchell said.

The rare leopard was found on zoo grounds at around 4:40 p.m. on Jan. 13, close to the habitat it had escaped from. The cat, weighing in at around 25 pounds, was returned to its original enclosure, home to its sister, Luna.

The Dallas Zoo wrote in a tweet on Jan. 14 that Nova spent the day with Luna "perched up on a high branch while oh-so-many guests stopped by to wish her well." The leopard shows no signs of injury, according to the zoo.

The search for the leopard shut down the zoo Friday. Many across the Internet became invested in the story after the Dallas Zoo announced the news with a simple, attention-grabbing tweet: "The Zoo is closed today due to a serious situation."

The leopard was not found in its habitat that morning, sending the zoo into a Code Blue, a status for escaped "non-dangerous" animals. The animal primarily lives in the treetops, and the zoo said it expected the leopard to be nearby rather than off the zoo's property.

"This animal isn’t a greater risk for pets than animals native to North Texas that roam our neighborhoods," the zoo wrote in a tweet on Jan. 13 while the search was underway.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com