'It's Like Seeing a Camel at the North Pole'

Two tales of two very different animals being sought by wildlife officials:

• Thames whale: A young minke whale was lost far from home Monday, trapped in the Thames River upstream of London landmarks after it escaped from rescuers overnight, per the AP. Maritime authorities were trying to recapture the whale so they could relocate it to safer waters. Crews had worked for hours before freeing the whale early Monday from a stranding on a lock near Richmond in southwest London. But as the calf was being taken for further health checks on an inflatable pontoon, it slipped back into the water. "We are in uncharted territory. This animal is very, very lost," said Port of London Authority spokesperson Martin Garside. "It's like seeing a camel at the North Pole."

• Leopard in China: Authorities in eastern China were hunting for the last of three leopards that escaped from a safari park, per the AP. The trio escaped from the Hangzhou Safari Park and were spotted by villagers as early as May 1. However, the safari park only reported the missing leopards and alerted the public on Saturday. The delay in announcing the escape sparked criticism that the safari park had put people at risk, especially since the leopards were at large over the five-day Labor Day holidays in China, with hordes of tourists visiting the city of Hangzhou. Two of the leopards have been captured. It's unclear how they got free.

(More minke whales stories.)