THE killing of a lynx which escaped from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom has sparked outrage.

Lillith, who escaped capture for around two weeks and had been suspected of killing sheep in the area, was shot dead by a marksman on Friday.

The lynx was sighted hiding under a caravan on a caravan site.

It ran off onto nearby farmland where it was shot dead by a marksman from WMS Firearms Training which was called in by the county council to help in the search

Ceredigion County Council defended the decision saying that Lillith had moved into a “populated area of the community” and that according to a specialist veterinary surgeon the “risk to public well-being had increased from moderate to severe”.

The council said the use of tranquilliser darts instead of real bullets had been ruled out because of problems with the terrain.

Members of the public have been questioning why the lynx could not be found despite all the traps and personnel involved in the search, when it was still in the Borth area when it was killed.

The decision to shoot the lynx rather than tranquillise it was widely condemned by people on social media.

TV presenter Chris Packham sent a bottle of Lynx deodorant to the county council in protest at the decision and suggested similarly outraged people do the same.

And a special vigil was held on Aberystwyth promenade on Sunday night with more than 35 attending to pay tribute to Lillith.

The zoo owners have said the premises will remain closed until further notice.

For more coverage on the lynx, see this week’s Cambrian News, now on sale