A snow leopard was shot and killed at a zoo in the United Kingdom after it escaped an enclosure left open by its keeper, zoo officials said.
“Euthanasia is, and always will be, a last resort,” he said. “Efforts to persuade Margaash to return to his enclosure failed and as the animal was close to surrounding woodland and dark was approaching, the vet did not believe a tranquillizer dart was a safe option due to the amount of time the drug takes to work.”
Zoo staff had “no other option in the interest of public safety,” according to the statement, adding that the animal “did not suffer” as it was euthanized with a single shot by a senior member of the firearms team.
