Image copyright AFP Image caption Friends said Mohamed Ali shared one of the zoo animals but is not associated with the park
An Egyptian park has closed and its operations put on hold after thousands of small insects were released into neighbouring homes by an animal keeper.
Thousands of tiny, brown and yellow scorpions have been paraded round the streets of the pyramids city of Giza, witnesses say.
Authorities and friends of one of the zoo animals, Mohamed Ali, say he is not connected to the zoo.
His friends say he has been sharing the animals’ property with his family, reports say.
Witnesses say people have been terrified and that they are being asked to return home.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption The scorpions are in a wooden container or basket and are free to move around inside homes and into kitchens
Local media say a little more than 2,000 of the bugs have been released, with the remaining slightly larger being consigned to a wooden container or basket that the employees show off to tourists inside the park.
The scorpions have not been seen inside the zoo, which is located in the southern part of Giza.
Image copyright Tahrir Square Image caption The Scorpion King films inspired the nation to boast giant scorpions as pets
It does not appear to have installed monitoring equipment in the inside, reports say.
It was not clear what happened in Mr Ali’s home, or how many others he lives in.
Mr Ali does not have any licence to keep animals as pets in Egypt, reports say.