Missing Lynx: UK police warn residents over escaped cat

LONDON – Police say a 2-year-old male lynx has escaped from a zoo in southwestern England.

The wild animal escaped from the Dartmoor Zoological Park on Thursday.

The police force said the animal “should not be approached as it could become dangerous if alarmed or cornered.”

The lynx, named Flaviu, had only been at the zoo for one night when it escaped from an enclosure by chewing through a board in the wall, zoo officials said.

“Our main concerns now are for the safety of the public and for the welfare of Flaviu. He is extremely timid and his instinct will be to stay away from people so we are asking the public to be vigilant,” the zoo said in a statement.

Traps containing meat are being set in the vicinity of the zoo to lure the lynx back.

Police have called in a helicopter to search for the wild cat and are urging members of the public to call an emergency helpline if they spot the free feline.

Officers are also visiting local schools to offer safety advice, and going house-to-house asking people to remain indoors.

The lynx is a stealthy predator that has been extinct in Britain for over 1,000 years and remains endangered in parts of Europe.