Lynx Escapes from Zoo; Police Bring in Thermal Imaging Drones

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England’s Devon & Cornwall Police are using drones to assist the Dartmoor Zoological Park staff in the ongoing search for a Carpathian lynx who escaped from his enclosure overnight between Wednesday and Thursday.

The two-year-old lynx, approximately the size of a Labrador Retriever, is believed to be on farmland outside the boundary of the park.

The Devon & Cornwall Police brought in their two drones – each equipped with a thermal imaging camera – overnight to assist with the search until low fog covered the area at approximately 3:00 this morning.

Late last year, police in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset began a six-month trial of using drones to aid officers in a number of situations, including search and rescue. The Devon & Cornwall Police say this is the first time it has used the technology to look for a wild animal.

In the first 32 seconds of the video, a single, white, thermal signature is shown on farmland near the park. The police say this sighting was used to corroborate the location of the lynx because staff from the park were able to match it with marks on the ground and the behavior of the animal.

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