Pet leopard escaped for a week and ‘killed sheep in the Cornish countryside’

A pet leopard escaped its enclosure and roamed the countryside in Cornwall for a week.

The clouded leopard was only caught after it was snared in a fox trap laid by a farmer whose sheep had been killed.

The police were called and said the animal had escaped from a nearby enclosure and its owner had been trying to locate it.

Neighbours claimed the leopard, usually found in the foothills of the Himalayas, belongs to Todd Dalton, who famously won a legal battle to keep leopards in the garden of his London home 12 years ago.

It escaped on Boxing Day from a private property in Great Treverran, Cornwall, and was found on a farm a mile away in Milltown on December 31, a farmer said.

Mr Dalton refused to comment but one neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: ‘We’ve had the police over and I’ve spoken to the council.

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‘I’ve got three children that were playing outside on Boxing Day and if I had known I would have kept them inside.

‘No one was hurt, but if the leopard had come in our direction it could have been a different situation.

‘We are settled here, this is our forever home, but now I am scared for my children and don’t feel safe with my back door open.

‘They had an expert come in to track down the leopard and they said it would not travel and it would return to its mate, but it did the exact opposite.

‘It was found in a field where children were playing and was caught by a farmer in a fox trap.’

The neighbour said they wanted Cornwall Council to revoke the owner’s licence to keep a dangerous wild animal.

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that a clouded leopard had escaped after its enclosure was damaged by wet weather, and said they had reports of dead sheep.

Locals claim the animal broke loose on December 26 after mud around the enclosure was washed away.

Cornwall Council said the owner has an appropriate dangerous wild animal license.

Peter Howard, 71, a public garden manager who lives around 50 yards from the leopard enclosure, called on the council to take action.

He said: ‘I know they had leopards over there because a neighbour had seen them.

‘My understanding is the leopard had been sleeping in a barn a mile away and was found a week later.

‘In the meantime it had carried out attacks on sheep. The license should be revoked. The enclosures have proven to be unsafe.

‘They put it down to weather that washed away the mud beneath the enclosure, but saying the weather is the reason is unacceptable.

‘Surely the enclosure must be designed to withstand the weather.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘Police were informed by the owner of a clouded leopard that his animal had escaped its inner compound on Boxing Day in Fowey.

‘The leopard was still in its outer compound and efforts were being made by the owner to recapture the animal.

‘Officers were then informed by a local farmer that the leopard had broken out of its compound and had allegedly attacked some of his sheep. The animal was recaptured.’

A spokeswoman for Cornwall Council added: ‘The owner of the animal that escaped does have the appropriate dangerous wild animal licence.

‘A full audit of the premises and licence has been undertaken and the circumstances surrounding the escape fully investigated.

‘The incident occurred due to an unforeseeable severe weather event causing a flood in an area not known to be subject to flooding.

‘The owner has taken appropriate measures to prevent possible future flooding events from affecting the security of the site.’

Neighbours said they saw two clouded leopards – a male and a female – in cages at the property in April last year, before a larger enclosure was built.

(Main picture: Rex)