Escaped Lynx ‘Who Posed No Threat To Humans’ Is Killed

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An animal park say they’re ‘devastated’ after the local council shot dead a year-and-a-half year old Eurasian lynx they had spent the last three weeks searching for, following its escape.

Young juvenile, Lillith the lynx, was about twice the size of a normal house cat and had escaped from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom, near Aberystwyth, on 29 October.

Despite warning locals not to approach the animal on sighting, the zoo said it did not pose any threat to humans.

Borth Wild Animal Park / Facebook

However, Ceredigion Council said it had killed the lynx after she ‘strayed over to a populated area of the community’, reports the Telegraph.

In a Facebook post, Borth Wild Animal Kingdom expressed their sadness at the death of Lillith at the hands of the local council, explaining the lengths they’d gone to to try and recapture the small escapee:

For the past three weeks we have been tracking and attempting to catch her in a safe way.

We have employed 24-hour, on-site help from expert trackers and animal recovery specialists who have been aiding us in our efforts, but she proved to be quite elusive.

We have spared no expense or effort in our search.

The post continued:

I would like to make it clear to everyone … that the decision to kill her was not ours and we in no way agreed to or participated in the shooting of our baby Lynx.

We are truly devastated and outraged that this happened.

The zoo had been closed since the discovery of Lillith’s breakout in October, as zookeepers pulled out all stops too try to locate the lynx.

Under new management, the Facebook statement explains, when they took over the park, it was ‘in a terrible state’ and the enclosures were ‘ rotting and not fit for purpose’.

As the park was undergoing a council inspection the zookeepers received a call that Lillith had been located.

Borth Wild Animal Kingdom / Facebook

Lillith was found near a caravan – only a net’s throw away from recovery when a council official slipped on the ground, causing her to escape.

After a fruitless day of searching the zoo received another call to inform them Lillith had been shot.

Ceredig Davies of Aberystwyth Council shared a statement on their Facebook page:

It is with deep regret that Ceredigion County Council reports on the humane destruction of the Eurasian Lynx that recently escaped from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom.

The safety of the public was paramount and therefore once the Lynx had strayed over to a populated area of the community it was necessary to act decisively.

Borth Wild Animal Kingdom’s post said:

We have employed 24-hour, on-site help from expert trackers and animal recovery specialists who have been aiding us in our efforts, but she proved to be quite elusive.

We have spared no expense or effort in our search.

Our thoughts are with Lillith, and the staff at Borth Wild Animal Kingdom.

Tim Horner

Tim Horner is a sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated with a BA Journalism from University College Falmouth before most his colleagues were born. A previous editor of adult mags, he now enjoys bringing the tone down in the viral news sector.