The Romanian spotted leopard housed in the Durham Zoo has
been reported missing by zoo officials and is thought to be on the loose on the
premises or possibly in the neighborhood surrounding the zoo.
“When
we opened the zoo at 9:30 this morning and began feeding the animals, we immediately
noticed Fluffy missing,” said Gerry Durrell, director of the zoo. “We are doing
everything we can to find her and bring her back.”
It is
currently unclear what happened to the leopard, as the cage did not appear to
be tampered with and the fencing was intact. The cage that the leopard is
housed in is alarmed, and no alarm sounded between 9 p.m. the previous night,
the last time the leopard was seen, and this morning at 9:30 a.m. when she was
discovered missing.
The
spotted leopard, or Fluffy as she is affectionately named, was a gift to the
City of Durham from sister city Durhamvoska in Romania. Fluffy, the only known
female leopard of her kind, is said to be extremely dangerous. She weighs 146
pounds and can run up to 60 miles per hour.
“Fluffy
is a wonderful, warm, gentle cat who has never hurt anyone,” said the zoo’s
chief zoologist Kitty Smith. “But if these cats are cornered – or encountered
on a dark alley – their defense is to kill and kill quickly.”
James
Petronkis, a 36 year old resident of Newmarket, noticed something odd about
Fluffy’s cage when he arrived at the zoo this morning. Petronkis, who visits
the zoo daily to see Fluffy, knew something was wrong right away.
“Fluffy
usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps, but there was no nest –
there wasn’t even any straw.”
Petronkis
tried to alert zoo staff about his concerns, but they wouldn’t listen to him.
He eventually pulled the fire alarm to get their attention, and after checking
the cage “all hell broke loose. Police cars came from every direction and
within minutes they were roughly pushing visitors to the exits.”
The
search for Fluffy will continue at the zoo until 11 a.m. If police have no luck
finding her in the zoo, they will continue the search in the residential
neighborhood around the zoo, which is home to an elementary school and many
daycares. There are some reports that the schools in Durham have been locked
down.
Fluffy
is extremely dangerous, and her species of leopard has been known to kill
children under eight years old. If anyone comes into contact with the leopard
they should slowly go to the ground and stay limp and lay still. People should
avoid eye contact with her at all costs.
Police
will attempt to capture Fluffy using tranquilizers at first. “If nessisary, we
will shoot to kill,” said Police Chief William Blair. “We have got to find her
by 2 p.m. These cats are nearly impossible to find in the dark – they can see
everything and we are blind.”
The
Durham Police have asked for assistance from the New Hampshire State Police and
the state Wildlife Department to help in the search. The National Guard will
also be supplying five helicopters with infrared scanners.
If
anyone has any information they are urged to contact the police.
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