- PM Orders Probe into Bear’s Airport Escape
- Airline Dispute Over Responsibility for Bear Incident
- Wild Bear’s Escape Causes Flight Delay and Investigation
The prime minister of Iraq has ordered an investigation into the bear’s escape from its container at Dubai International Airport.
The prime minister of Iraq has now entered a dispute over who is responsible for a bear escaping from an airplane’s cargo compartment.
Friday, as the plane awaited takeoff from Dubai International Airport, Iraqi Airways stated that it was not responsible for the bear’s departure from its crate.
Authorities despatched specialists to sedate and remove the animal from the aircraft, delaying the flight.
Mohammed Shayya’ Sabbar al Sudani, prime minister of Iraq, has ordered an investigation.
A social media video shows the pilot apologising to passengers for Friday’s delayed departure due to the bear’s escape.
The world’s busiest airport for international travel, Dubai International Airport, declined to comment.
The bear was flown from Baghdad to Dubai by the airline, but an unidentified Iraqi Airways representative confirmed it.
The bear’s identity and species have not been made public.
Keeping predatory animals as pets has become popular among the affluent in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, and authorities have struggled to enforce legal protections for wild animals.
By reporting such incidents, Baghdad’s police have previously requested assistance from the public in preventing exotic animals from being released onto the city’s streets or served as exotic cuisine in restaurants.
Although this is a rare occurrence, this is not the first time a bear has caused airport delays.
A 2021 wild brown bear in northern Japan disrupted planes and harmed four people before being killed by authorities.
