Exotic animal escapes from Kent conservation centre

A conservation centre in Kent is appealing for information after one of its exotic animals escaped.

On Sunday keepers at Hemsley Conservation Centre near Fairseat found one of its tayras had left after damage to weld mesh.

The tayra, which is part of the weasel family, was last seen at 15:00 BST on Monday near Brands Hatch by the A20.

A conservation centre spokesperson said: "Our keepers are naturally distraught and her welfare is our number one priority."

"We have informed the local authorities and are confident that we can recover her safely but will require your assistance in doing so," the spokesperson added in a message on social media.

The centre said it was conducting a full investigation and could not rule out foul play.

Anyone who sees the tayra, which is native to Central and South America, is asked to not approach it and to contact the centre immediately.

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