It started years ago with the chimpanzee at London Zoo, who jumped on a bus and bit a passenger before being recaptured. Then there's the 'giant rat' in Regent's Park canal, which turned out to be one of the Zoo's capybara, 'Goldie' the golden eagle loose in Regent's Park for days before recapture, and a Bateleur eagle which retreated to a back garden in north London. In recent months a macaque monkey evaded capture for days from the West Midlands Safari Park. At Belfast Zoo two red pandas escaped to nearby hills and a tiger was shot making a bid for freedom. An elephant climbed out of her enclosure at Dudley Zoo, and apparently sent visitors diving for cover.
Any wild animal can endanger the public.
An animal in a strange environment will be stressed, scared, and likely to be unpredictable.