It is supposed that the animal entered
the woods and made for the mountains where a party of circus
attaches and volunteer citizens, fully armed, hope to
encounter and destroy it.
No serious damage was done by the animal, except the tearing
of a tent which had not yet been raised, as it tore at a rope
in which its leg became entangled.
When seen this morning Mr. Rinaldo Costello, owner of the
circus, said that no fear need be entertained by citizens, as
the animal would undoubtedly avoid human haunts. He added that
little hope is entertained of catching the beast alive, as
these animals are always taken when cubs, and when grown,
fight to the death all efforts to capture them. The escaped
animal, a magnificent specimen of the leopard family, was
imported by Mr. Costello at a cost of more than six thousand
dollars. In captivity it was said to be comparatively docile.
The leopard is distinctive among animals of the cat family, in
having five toes on its fore paws and four on its hind paws,
this being its unique characteristic.
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