Escaped Leopard Kills 1, Is Shot Dead
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A leopard burst out of its cage at an animal sanctuary and killed a woman, then escaped into nearby woods. Deputies shot and killed it hours later as it followed a baited path. Sheriff John Whetsel said the woman was attacked at the Oak Hill Center for Rare and Endangered Species. The 60- to 70-pound leopard apparently used its weight to force open its locked cage. The name of the 52-year-old woman, whose body was found by her son, was not released. “All I can say is, it was a savage attack,” Whetsel said. The center rehabilitates injured exotic animals before returning them to zoos around the country. The 7-year-old Persian leopard was shot by sheriff’s deputies about half a mile from the center.
