Welsh town on alert as Lillith the lynx goes missing

  • 30/10/2017
Lillith the lynx.
Lillith the lynx. Photo credit: Borth Wild Animal Kingdom / Facebook

A wild lynx cat is now stalking the streets of west Wales after escaping a wildlife park, with police helicopters called in to help track her down.

Lillith, a Eurasian lynx, escaped from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom, near Aberystwyth. She fled sometime in the past five days, local police said.

The runaway is about twice the size of a house cat, with large ears tipped with black tufts and a thick stubby tail.

Borth Wild Animal Kingdom said public shouldn't be alarmed, but stay alert.

"There have never been any recorded attacks of a Lynx on a human, but they are a wild animal with sharp teeth and claws and will attack if cornered or trapped," they said in a post on Facebook.

A keeper who had seen Lillith grow since she was a newborn kitten said they hoped anyone who sees her contacts officials for help, particularly if a farmer is concerned about their livestock.

"I would be surprised if this scared young thing would be brave enough to tackle livestock but I would rather offer some sort of compensation than see harm to Lillith," they said.

Anyone who spots the big cat is advised to contact the zoo or police immediately so trained keepers can be sent out.

"We will be putting out camera traps around the perimeter of the zoo and relying on sightings by the public," the zoo said on Facebook.

"Once we learn her location and follow her trail pattern we can set up monitored traps to catch her."

The Eurasian lynx is endangered and has been extinct in the UK for more than 1000 years.

Plans are already underway to be able to reintroduce a similar species, the Iberian lynx, to the region.

Newshub.