A black panther who was rescued from the rooftops of a French city last week, is on the loose again after being stolen from a zoo.
The panther was believed to have escaped through the window of a private apartment and on to the rooftops of the city of Lille.
After being caught, he was sent to Maubeuge zoo, near the border with Belgium, according to the city’s mayor, Arnaud Decagny.
It is believed that the feline was stolen last night, in what Mayor Decagny called a targeted attack, which involved ‘considerable effort’.
The burglars are said to have spent a lot of time planning the raid, going to great lengths to avoid CCTV cameras and security systems.
The mayor said: ‘The discovery was made at 8am this morning, during the day-to-day control of the sector manager.
‘No break-in has been committed on the entrance, exit or the zoo speaker.
‘Only the six safety points of the enclosure have been forced.
‘The thugs were therefore intending to remove only the feline and significant means were used.’
The mayor said zoo officials were concerned about the panther’s health, given its young age.
The animal is believed to be only a few months old, weighing between 25 and 30kg.