A lion Saturday night escaped from its cage at Kano zoo, settings off panic among residents of the community close to the zoo.

A resident of Gandu Albasa quarters, near the zoo, told The Guardian that residents of the area have started relocating for the safety of their lives.

When contacted on phone, managing director of Kano Zoology, Saidu Gwadebe confirmed the Lion’s escaped.

Saidu told our correspondent that the animal escaped from its cage at about 8 pm and dashed into the wild zoo forest.

He said a team of experts have already been deployed to capture the lion while reassuring of the safety of lives of people living in the area.

The police spokesman in Kano, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, who also confirmed the incident revealed that heavily armed policemen have been deployed around the zoo premise for protection. (The Guardian)