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Two lions escaped from their containers in Changi Airport on Dec. 12.
The lions were eventually tranquilised and put under the care of the Mandai Wildlife Group.
Photos of lion appear online
On Dec. 13, The Straits Times published two pictures of a lion with a light coloured mane being handled by a wildlife team.
Subsequently, more photos of a different sedated wild cat emerged online.
On Dec. 15, three pictures of a lion with a darker mane circulated on the Internet, and made its way into the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.
Sedated lion
The three pictures showed a lion on its side on top of a crate with holes.
The lion's mobility could have been limited as a large net covered the animal and the crate.
This scene corroborates what was previously reported about the lions' escape in Changi Airport.
According to what was witnessed then, one of the lions had climbed on top of its container at one point, but the lions were confined within the safety netting installed around the container the whole time.
In one of the pictures, a person could be seen examining the sedated lion.
Photo via Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.
Photo via Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.
A picture taken from a different angle showed that cloth was placed over the lion's eyes.
Photo via Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.
Transhipment to an overseas facility
On Dec. 13, a spokesperson from Mandai Wildlife Group clarified that the lions are not under Mandai Wildlife Group ownership.
The spokesperson added that the lions also do not belong to any of the organisation's four wildlife parks in Singapore.
This information has put to rest public speculation that the escaped lions are the same ones from the Singapore Zoo that previously tested positive for Covid-19.
A spokesperson from Singapore Airlines (SIA) has confirmed that the lions were in transit at Changi Airport.
This was echoed by the Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson, who said: "The lions were on a transhipment through Singapore’s Changi Airport to an overseas facility."
The SIA spokesperson added that the lions will be continuing on their journey once the experts from Mandai Wildlife Group have ensured that the lions are "fit for transport".
In the meantime, the Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson said the group will give professional advice and render assistance to SIA on the lions' upcoming journey.
Due to "commercial sensitivity and confidentiality reasons", however, the SIA spokesperson declined to comment further on the matter.
No disruption to airline operations
According to SIA, the lions' escape from their container did not cause any disruption to the airline's operations.
There were reportedly up to seven lions in the shipment, but it is not known where they were headed to or where they came from.
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Top images via Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.