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Hamerton Zoo Park Cheetah Escape

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by JamesB, 30 Oct 2008.

  1. JamesB

    JamesB Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Link: BBC NEWS | England | Cambridgeshire | Investigation into cheetah escape

    An investigation has begun into how a cheetah was able to escape from a zoo and wander into a family's back garden.

    Officers from Huntingdonshire District Council are due to visit Hamerton Zoo in Hamerton, Cambridgeshire, after a nine-year-old discovered the cheetah.

    Toby Taylor ran indoors when he encountered the animal and zoo keepers arrived soon after to recapture it.

    A council spokeswoman said the zoo notified its officers of the escape and it was now being investigated.

    The three-year-old hand-reared cheetah is thought to have escaped through a faulty electric fence on Friday.

    The spokeswoman for Huntingdonshire District Council said: "Our environmental health officers are responsible for licensing of zoos and dangerous animals.

    "The zoo reported the escape to us and we are aware that there was a faulty electric fence unit which has been replaced.

    "We are now investigating."

    Andrew Swales, the zoo's director, said the animal would not have posed a danger to the boy.
     
  2. karenZOO

    karenZOO Well-Known Member

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    OMG I would love a cheetah in my garden :D

    Least it wasnt their white tiger that seemed rather fiesty when we went there and cheetahs seem the most 'friendly' of the cats plus being handraised!

    I was impressed with there natural looking cheetah enclosures, made them very hard to spot :p
     
  3. JamesB

    JamesB Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    a baby cheetah in my garden! that would be sweet
     
  4. karenZOO

    karenZOO Well-Known Member

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    :D I wouldn't call anyone, except maybe the butcher to stock up :D
     
  5. JamesB

    JamesB Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    :O you wouldnt, you mean lady

    i would be tempted to keep it as a pet but no that would be cruel
     
  6. CZJimmy

    CZJimmy Well-Known Member

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    I don't think you got the joke;)

    KarenZOO said she would call the butcher to stock up on meat for the cheetah, not to sell the cheetah to the butcher as meat
     
  7. Bele

    Bele Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    On a recent visit to Hamerton , a male miniature donkey grazing the strip of grass between a cheetah enclosure and the public path was racing one of the cheetahs along the fence line . Both seemed to be very much enjoying the experience and the donkey was encouraging the cheetah to chase him ! Magic sight !
     
  8. JamesB

    JamesB Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    oh i got the wrong side of the joke, it was still funny!