2023: The animals who escaped this year
- Published
Let's start with the festive runaway reindeer who escaped from a Christmas grotto in Suffolk. The animals, named Blue and Blitzen, had been brought to Elveden Estate, one of the biggest farms in the UK, where they had been taken for an event. They were later spotted on a nearby road in early Deccember. "They went for quite a run," a spokesperson for Elveden Estate said. "We located them last night, but couldn't get close enough to bring them in, and then it became too dark." They said the owner came back on Monday with another reindeer to help out, along with some food and eventually managed to get Blue and Blitzen to safety.
Over to Louisiana in the US now where Biscuit the African tortoise escaped from his home. He was spotted near a canal by local police and was taken to an animal shelter close by. It didn't take long for Biscuit to be rescued: "We are happy to report that Biscuit has been reunited with his family. This boy is 100 years old," the animal shelter said. Owner Lamoine Howard thanked the shelter for caring for Biscuit adding he had been planning on getting his back garden gate fixed, but Biscuit escaped before it was sorted.
From a tortoise in the US to one in the UK - we might think of these creatures as slow but they sure are great escape artists. This 60-year-old tortoise went on a mile-long journey through its local town of Selkirk in Scotland. He made his way across at least three busy roads, through a town centre and over a footbridge. His owner, Cathryn, is currently putting up a bigger wall around his pen to stop him from escaping again.
People in Newquay, Cornwall, were surprised by a red visitor that came to town. Not Father Christmas but Sundara the red panda who was seen around half a mile from its home at Newquay Zoo. Workers in a greengrocers originally thought they were looking at a "big, funny-coloured cat". She went into a courtyard opposite their shop, which they blocked off before waiting for the zoo team to come and rescue her. They even rolled an apple to her to keep her busy while they all waited. Sundara was then returned to Newquay Zoo to be reunited with fellow red panda Seren.
There have been a few escaping emus this year too. Dini and Blu went on an adventure together after their enclosure was damaged by strong winds in Essex. They eventually made their way to a car park outside a veterinary surgery and surprised the clients in their cars. The emus were given a short break at the Maldon Promenade Petting Zoo before they were reunited with their owner who has now built a much bigger and sturdier fence to keep them secure.
A border terrier named Lucky really lived up to her name this year when she was reunited with her family following a 100-mile adventure across Switzerland. The 14-year old terrier had been left in kennels in Bern but escaped through a hole in the fence and somehow managed to get herself to Lake Geneva in just one night. With the help of police and her microchip, Lucky was safely reunited with her owners. Lucky's exact journey of her epic adventure still remains a mystery though.
And finally, do you remember the case of the lioness on the loose in Berlin? A video of what was thought to be a big cat went viral on social media in July and officials began a search for the predator after police officers said they had spotted it from a distance. No-one was sure where it came from as local zoos, sanctuaries and circuses all said they had no missing lions. It was later decided the mystery creature was a wild boar - a species native to Germany - and not an escapee after all.
- Published12 December 2023
- Published24 December 2023
- Published22 December 2023
