Fluffy, a 10-year-old Romanian spotted leopard escaped from the Durham Zoo late Tuesday night and is still nowhere to be found.
When the zoo opened at 7:30 a.m. the following morning, zoo keepers immediately noticed Fluffy was missing. Her cage door was shut and did not appear to have been tampered with, and the fencing was unbroken. How she escaped without damaging her cage is a mystery.
Police rushed to the zoo, while the visitors were being hurried out. Within minutes of their arrival, police officers were everywhere with guns drawn and ready to fire. If possible, Fluffy will be shot with a tranquilizer gun but if necessary, she will be killed.
“We have no idea what time Fluffy escaped or where she went. She may have left the area and she could be walking around Durham at this point. We just don’t know,” said director of the zoo Gerry Durrell, during a press conference.
There is a lot of concern because of the residential neighborhood and elementary school that surround the zoo. Experts are urging the public to get slowly to the ground and lay still if they encounter the leopard. She will only attack if she senses fear, and be especially careful to avoid eye contact.
“If these cats are cornered – or encountered on a dark night – their defense is to kill, and to kill quickly,” said Kitty Smith, the zoo’s chief biologist. “Fluffy is one of five spotted leopards left in the world, and we hope to bring her back safely,” she said.
The New Hampshire State Police and the state wildlife department are involved in the search for Fluffy. In addition, the National Guard will be supplying five helicopters with infrared sensors. The zoo is doing everything in its power to find the leopard before anyone gets hurt.
Witnesses are questioning the story the zoo is telling. One visitor, who witnessed everything, had a different story to tell that contradicted the one given by the director of the zoo.
“Everything seemed normal until I got to the cage, then I knew something was wrong right away. I told the guard and he said ‘Mind your own business.’ I waited and a half hour later I told them again, and this time they checked the house,” said James Petronkis, a frequent visitor of the zoo. “Then all hell broke loose,” he said.
When the zoo opened at 7:30 a.m. the following morning, zoo keepers immediately noticed Fluffy was missing. Her cage door was shut and did not appear to have been tampered with, and the fencing was unbroken. How she escaped without damaging her cage is a mystery.
Police rushed to the zoo, while the visitors were being hurried out. Within minutes of their arrival, police officers were everywhere with guns drawn and ready to fire. If possible, Fluffy will be shot with a tranquilizer gun but if necessary, she will be killed.
“We have no idea what time Fluffy escaped or where she went. She may have left the area and she could be walking around Durham at this point. We just don’t know,” said director of the zoo Gerry Durrell, during a press conference.
There is a lot of concern because of the residential neighborhood and elementary school that surround the zoo. Experts are urging the public to get slowly to the ground and lay still if they encounter the leopard. She will only attack if she senses fear, and be especially careful to avoid eye contact.
“If these cats are cornered – or encountered on a dark night – their defense is to kill, and to kill quickly,” said Kitty Smith, the zoo’s chief biologist. “Fluffy is one of five spotted leopards left in the world, and we hope to bring her back safely,” she said.
The New Hampshire State Police and the state wildlife department are involved in the search for Fluffy. In addition, the National Guard will be supplying five helicopters with infrared sensors. The zoo is doing everything in its power to find the leopard before anyone gets hurt.
Witnesses are questioning the story the zoo is telling. One visitor, who witnessed everything, had a different story to tell that contradicted the one given by the director of the zoo.
“Everything seemed normal until I got to the cage, then I knew something was wrong right away. I told the guard and he said ‘Mind your own business.’ I waited and a half hour later I told them again, and this time they checked the house,” said James Petronkis, a frequent visitor of the zoo. “Then all hell broke loose,” he said.
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