Police: Cougar captured after escape from Kansas zoo

UPDATE 2 p.m. Monday

INDEPENDENCE — Police reported just after 1 p.m. Monday that a cougar on the loose after escaping from the zoo has been captured. According to a social media media report from the Independence Police Department, the animal is safely back in its enclosure.

Photo courtesy Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo

Authorities have not released details on the escape or where the animal was found. There have been no injuries reported.

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INDEPENDENCE (AP) — Officials at a southeast Kansas zoo say a cougar is on the loose after escaping from the zoo.

The cougar escaped Monday morning from Riverside Park and Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence.

The zoo said in a news release that park officials and police officers are searching for the animal. They urged citizens to be cautious and not approach the cougar if they see it.

Details on how the cougar escaped have not been released.

Independence is about 113 miles southeast of Wichita.