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From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 8, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 8, 2026
Man with PTSD said to have broken into Haifa zoo, shattered window of leopard enclave
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
Illustrative: A Persian leopard at the Ramat Gan Safari on October 11, 2018. (Ramat Gan Safari, courtesy)
A 25-year-old man suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder broke into northern Israel’s Haifa Zoo this morning and shattered the glass screen of the Persian leopard exhibit, Hebrew media reports.
Upon seeing zoo staff, the man bolted into the bear exhibit and climbed a tall tree.
The break-in activated the zoo’s emergency procedures.
The zoo’s management reported that the leopard had been nowhere near the window, and that there was no danger to the man at any point.
Zoo staff tried to calm the man until police and ambulance workers arrived, along with the man’s father.
The man was referred for treatment and medical supervision.
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