The privately run Hangzhou Safari Park concealed the escape for nearly three weeks to prevent negative publicity that could have affected its visitor numbers during last week’s May Day holiday, according to an announcement from the Fuyang District government.

The park staff had initially denied reports any leopards had escaped, according to The Paper, a state-run online newspaper. It was not until a week after the animals were reportedly first spotted by local residents, and police began a subsequent investigation, that the park notified the public.

Police say personnel cleaning the leopards’ enclosure on April 19 had violated unspecific safety regulations, which allowed the animals to escape. Two days later, the park recaptured one of the cats.

However, it wasn’t until after a video clip circulated of the escaped cat being brutally hunted down by a pack of dogs—causing news of the escapes to go viral—that a larger search started, which involved multiple government agencies. A second leopard was captured this past Friday, but the third cat remains at large.

A hunt is still underway for the final missing animal in the forest-covered hills where fresh paw prints were found on Sunday. Officials and locals are searching on foot and by drone for the third leopard. Authorities say the search has so far involved more than 4,000 people, 450 airborne drones and 84 hunting dogs.

Fei Yuezhong, a top official in Hangzhou’s police department, told reporters that the park’s general manager issued an internal order to conceal the escapes.

“He believed that if it was truthfully announced or reported to authorities, it would seriously affect May Day visitor numbers, so he decided to conceal it and conduct a private search,” Fei said.

Over the weekend, the park apologized for not making a public statement sooner, adding it stayed quiet to avoid causing panic, especially since the leopards were not fully grown, each just over 2 years old.

“We sincerely accept the criticism,” the park said in a statement.

But public anger continued to grow as the viral video of one of the cats being mauled by the dogs emerged. Another video, released by a state-run TV outlet, showed one of the recaptured cats in an enclosure with part of a hind foot missing, according to the South China Morning Post.

Leopards are protected under Chinese law, with strict bans on hunting or trafficking of leopard-related products. Some cats still roam free in isolated areas of China.

The park has been temporarily closed for investigation.