A lion which escaped early Wednesday from a wild life park in Jos, Plateau State, has been killed.

An official of the Plateau State Ministry of Tourism, in charge of the park, Abdullahi Abe, told PREMIUM TIMES the animal had been shot dead.

He said the body of the lion would be taken to the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Jos south Local Government Area the state, for preservation.

Mr. Abe said the lion did not harm anyone as speculated. He did not give further details.

The police spokesperson, Abuh Emmanuel, said officers had hoped to recover the lion alive.

“We had dispatched our men with experts in search of the lion with the intention to recover the animal alive,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.

The escape of the lion caused panic in the town as many residents stayed indoors for fear of being attacked.

Docars Gwani, a resident at the federal low cost housing estate near the park, said they were afraid that the animal could attack anyone.

The general manager of the park, John Doy, had said the lion, which had been kept since 1972, “slipped through the gate of the cage when it was opened for its routine feeding”.

“The animal is still within the vicinity of the park but our fear is that the park is not fenced,” he had warned.