Holiday Light Show Canceled Because Of ... Escaped Warthog

Some stories are too bizarre to be made up.

An escaped warthog is to blame for cancelling last night's holiday light show at a Florida zoo.

Officials at the Jacksonville Zoo say the warthog got loose from its enclosure during the "Colors of the Wild" holiday show.

Visitors at the zoo were told to shelter in place and then were evacuated.

The zoo was then closed for the evening as a precaution, and to make sure none of the visitors startled the warthog.

Officials said they fond the warthog hanging out with a meerkat and a young lion humming a tune that sounded a lot like "Hakuna Matata."

OK, I made that last paragraph up, but still, an escaped warthog canceling a light parade?

A statement from the zoo administration:

Out of an abundance of caution, we are canceling our Colors of the Wild event tonight to ensure the safety of all guests and animals. Our Animal Care team is working to rescue a warthog who escaped from its enclosure and is in an area of the Zoo where no guests are present. The Zoo will be closed for the remainder of the evening. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for understanding.

The warthog, named 'Mateo' was located (unharmed) in some bushes a short time later.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office used a thermal drone to find Mateo.

In a Tweet on X Social, the zoo sent out this note:

Great news! Warthog Mateo has been safely located on Zoo grounds, nestled in a palmetto thicket. Thankfully, our initial exam indicates he is uninjured, and our Vet team is currently evaluating him to ensure he’s in perfect health. Our Animal Care and Health teams will continue to monitor him closely. A massive thank you goes to our incredible staff for their tireless efforts in recovering Mateo, and to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for their invaluable help in locating him with a thermal drone. This was truly a team effort, and we’re so grateful for the amazing collaboration that brought him back safe and sound. The Zoo will be open regular hours tomorrow. Hakuna matata!

For the record, warthogs are fast (top speed = 30 MPH) , but mostly harmless. Despite their menacing appearance and deadly hardware, they don't usually display aggression toward humans, although a man in Texas died two years from injuries sustained by being gored from a warthog.