In February 1914, an escapee from the Melbourne Zoo caused a “sensation” on the streets of Brunswick. Yes, it is another animal story for Trove Tuesday and yes, it is another story with a sad ending. But it is a story worth sharing and the article, from the Daily Herald of Adelaide goes into great detail about the incident.
It was the daughters of Zoo curator, Mr. D. Le Souef, who were first alerted to one of the zoo’s leopards on the loose in the early hours. Despite their father’s attempts, the leopard jumped a fence and disappeared from sight. The leopard was next seen in Barkley Street, Brunswick, at the home of young Miss Winnie Walters.
BIG GAME. (1914, February 23). Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA : 1910 – 1924), p. 5. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105620933
Trove once again come through with a fantastic photo to go with the leopard story, and it comes from the State Library of Victoria.
LEOPARD AT HOBART ZOO. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria. Image no. H37687/17 http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/56312
Western District Families 
I like the writing style , plenty of suitable adjectives & adverbs make a dramatic story .
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Poor old leopard but not surprising that he was shot..the humans were luckier. Maybe he was cranky from being in the strong box… I wonder how long “temporarily” actually was. Love the photo…leopards were high on my wish list to see when we were on Safari.
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That’s quite a story. I remember one year living out past the zoo and hearing the lions roaring at night. I wonder what the legal position would be these days if someone pulled out a gun and shot a wandering zoo animal. .
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