(CN) Escaped leopard gunned down in Fujian

[Guest guest]

Escaped leopard gunned down in Fujian

Zhang Liuhao

Shanghai Daily

2006-12-06

 

POLICE shot a leopard to death that escaped from a zoo in a city of southeastern

China's Fujian Province yesterday afternoon.

 

In the early morning, the leopard slipped out of its cage in the zoo inside

Yuanyangchi Park in Shishi City, because of the breeder's negligence, the

People's Daily reported today.

 

The big cat then went " wandering " in the zoo, posing a threat to people.

 

After realizing that the cage was empty, the park managers asked for help from

the local police about 7am, and closed the park.

 

By 12pm, breeders of the zoo, assisted by police officers, tried several times

to put the leopard under control with self-made anesthetic darts, but the

attempt was unsuccessful.

 

The attempts also enraged the animal and it bit a breeder.

 

After the anesthetic gun on loan from the counterpart in Huian City broke down,

the police decided to kill the leopard after the provincial authorities agreed.

 

At 2pm, officers gunned down the big cat.

 

According to the report, the park operated the zoo without a license, and the

zoo staff didn't have licenses to breed or hold wild animals.

 

Authorities have launched an investigation.

 

Leopards are one of China's top-grade state protected animals.

 

Chinese story:

http://news.sina.com.cn/s/2006-12-06/122311715980.shtml

 

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/12/06/299089/Escaped_leopard_gunned_down_i\

n_Fujian.htm

.........................

Police shoot dead escaped leopard

Xinhua

2006-12-07

 

A LEOPARD, a species under top-level state protection in China, was shot dead by

local police on Tuesday after escaping from its cage in a zoo in southeast

China's Fujian Province.

 

The leopard was found roaming the grounds of the Yuanyangchi Zoo at 7am,

triggering a series of blunders by zoo staff and local police.

 

The zookeeper, assisted by police, failed several times to shoot the leopard

with a hand-made bow and anesthetic arrow before being attacked and injured by

the irritated animal.

 

The team then turned to a narcotics gun borrowed by the police from another

department. But it failed to fire. The policemen, claiming to have been granted

approval from local administrative departments, then drove two cars into the zoo

at 2pm and shot the leopard dead.

 

Later, investigators found the policemen had not sought permission from related

government departments to kill the leopard and the zoo did not have a valid

operation license.

 

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/12/07/299165/Police_shoot_dead_escaped_leo\

pard.htm