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| Police hunt a puma that escaped from a Daejeon zoo Tuesday evening. The puma was shot dead. Yonhap |
By Oh Young-jin
A puma that escaped from a Daejeon zoo Tuesday evening was shot dead after a three-hour hunt, according to 119 emergency workers.
The eight-year-old female, weighing 60 kilograms, was shot twice with a tranquilizer gun but kept going. When it approached areas in the zoo where people gathered, police used live ammunition to kill it.
Initial reports said the puma was tranquilized and captured alive.
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| The puma that escaped from O World zoo in Daejeon is loaded onto a truck after it was shot dead. Yonhap |
The animal escaped from its cage in the O World zoo at 5:10 p.m. A zookeeper later said he failed to lock the cage after a morning check.
It is not clear whether the zoo or the keeper delayed reporting the escape to authorities.
City Hall sent an emergency text message alerting people to the danger in areas near Mount Bomum, telling them to stay inside.
The puma, also known as mountain lion or panther, usually preys on small animals such as rodents but it can attack humans. It is territorial and lives in densely forested areas.
