THE big cat that had escaped into the Ceredigion countryside has been destroyed.

Lillith the lynx had escaped from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom nearly three weeks ago and all efforts to recapture her had failed.

A statement from Ceredigion County Council said: “Despite exhaustive multi-agency efforts to recapture the class A animal, the group responding to the incident received additional advice late on Friday afternoon, November 10, from a specialist veterinary surgeon that the risk to public well-being had increased from moderate to severe due to the continued failure of the Wild Animal Kingdom to recapture the Lynx.

“The safety of the public was paramount and therefore once the Lynx had strayed over to a populated area of the community it was necessary to act decisively.”

The council announced yesterday that an evaluation will be made of the existing arrangements for hosting big cats at the premises. There will be a full inspection later this month which will involve an approved veterinary surgeon.