Today I have the story of a day in which dozens of dangerous, man-eating animals, including a polar bear, a panther, a Numidian lion, several hyenas, a rhinoceros, and a Bengal tiger, that escaped from the Central Park Zoo and killed 49 men, women and children and injured hundreds more.

This tragedy is known as The New York Zoo hoax, a hoax because not only was no one dead or injured, but all the animals were still locked safely in their cages. 

Sources I used to write this story:
Central Park Zoo Escape - Museum of Hoaxes
A carnival of death’ on New York’s streets - Washington Post
“A Shocking Sabbath Carnival of Death” - Slate
James Gordon Bennett, I Presume - New York Yacht Club
James Gordon Bennett Jr. - Wikipedia