Iraq's prime minister has launched an investigation into how a bear managed to escape from its crate on an Iraqi aircraft at Dubai airport, causing a delay and raising concerns among passengers. Iraqi Airways, however, has denied any responsibility for the escape and stated that they worked closely with authorities in the United Arab Emirates to safely remove the animal from the plane.

A video circulating on social media showed the captain apologizing to passengers for the takeoff delay caused by the bear's escape. Iraqi Airways assured the public that all procedures for transporting the bear were carried out in accordance with international standards.

Although the airline claims that the bear was being flown from Baghdad to Dubai, a person in the video suggested that the aircraft was actually heading to Baghdad and that passengers were asked to disembark until the situation was resolved.

The incident has shed light on the popularity of keeping predatory animals as pets among Iraq's wealthy population, leading authorities to struggle with enforcing legal measures to protect wild animals.