Lynx on the loose after escaping Welsh wildlife park

People are being warned to stay away from a Eurasian lynx that has escaped from a wildlife park in Ceredigion, Wales.

Lilleth the lynx is not thought to be a danger to humans but Borth Wild Animal Kingdom has urged people to keep away from her if spotted.

She is described as being tan and white in colour, with dark spots on her back and legs.

The lynx is around twice the size of a domestic cat, and has a ‘thick stubby tail’ which is tan at the base with a black tip.

‘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,’ the park said in a statement on Facebook.

‘If you spot her, please don’t approach her. Phone the police or contact the zoo straight away.

‘We have fully-trained keepers on hand to deal with the situation.’

A lynx can travel up to 12 miles a day, but the park says ‘chances are she hasn’t gone too far.’

She was spotted late Sunday evening by a police helicopter but the team said they would have to wait until Monday morning to pinpoint the animal again.

A Dyfed-Powys police spokeswoman said: ‘We are advising public in the area to be alert and vigilant.

‘The lynx is unlikely to approach people, but may attempt to take livestock or pets as food.

‘It is a mystery how she escaped – we can’t find any holes in the cage or overhanging branches she could climb.’

‘We’ll be putting out camera traps around the perimeter of the zoo,’ the park spokesperson continued.

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

Lynx have been extinct in UK forests for more than 1,800 years after they were hunted for their fur.

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The Lynx UK Trust is currently campaigning for the wildcat to be introduced into the Kielder forest, Northumberland, despite backlash from sheep farmers and locals.

If the plan is successful, lynx from Sweden will be brought to the UK with GPS trackers.

Dr Paul O’Donoghue, chief scientific advisor to the Lynx UK Trust and expert adviser to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), told The Guardian: ‘They will be the most studied animals in Britain.’

‘There is a moral obligation. We killed every single last one of them for the fur trade, that’s a wrong we have to right.’