A SECOND lynx at the Borth Wild Animal Kingdom died after being asphyxiated in a catchpole when a member of staff tried to move it to different enclosure.

The owners of the zoo confirmed that Nilly, an adult female lynx, had been at the zoo for a number of years, died last week while the hunt for Lillith was ongoing.

The second death has led to calls for the zoo to be closed by the Lynx UK Trust which is highly critical of the owners.

The zoo owners said: “It is with deep sadness and regret we announce the demise last week of Nilly, an adult female lynx, who was unrelated to Lillith but shared an enclosure.

“Over the past few weeks our staff have been under incredible pressure and when the authorities gave us 24-hour notice that they would be carrying out a full cat inspection we took the decision to move Nilly to a more suitable enclosure.

"Unfortunately, there seems to have been a terrible handling error where it seems she twisted in the catch-pole and became asphyxiated. An internal investigation is underway, and a key member of staff has been unable to work since the ordeal as they are truly devastated.

“The authorities were notified after the incident and will be carrying out their own full investigation.”

A spokesperson for the Lynx UK Trust said: “We are appalled to see the zoo attempting to court public sympathy for the loss of ‘our baby lynx’ Lillith whilst attempting to cover up the circumstances of her escape and the death of the second lynx.

“Borth Zoo must be closed immediately. They have little to no understanding of wild animal behaviour or welfare needs, and their appalling safety standards present a significant threat to the public.”

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