Updates on Thursday 7 July 2016
Scott Bingham, BBC Spotlight
Staff believe their chance of finding an escaped lynx will improve after dark and plan to use night vision equipment to try and find the animal.
The zoo took delivery of the cat last night, but discovered this morning it had dug its way out of the enclosure.
Chris Ellis
BBC News Online
Dartmoor Zoo says the newly arrived lynx that escaped from its enclosure chewed through a board in the wall of his house.
A spokesman said: "The house in which he was released has successfully held lynx for eight years, however he managed to escape by chewing through a board in the wall of the house.
"This was discovered at 10:00 this morning when keepers came to release him. A search party immediately set out and quickly established that it was extremely unlikely for the lynx to still be on site and the local police and BBC Radio Devon were informed.
"Our main concerns now are for the safety of the public and for the welfare of Flaviu."
Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport
Plymouth Argyle are in talks to sign Peterborough midfielder Jack Payne, according to the director of football Barry Fry.
Image source, Rex FeaturesThe 24-year-old is unlikely to feature this season, according to Fry, having spent much of last term on loan at Argyle's League Two rivals Leyton Orient.
"He's not agreed personal terms, but it's a great opportunity for Jack to go and play for a big club and put his name out there again," Fry said. "Grant McCann's made it perfectly clear he will not be playing for us this year with the amount of quality we've got in midfield," he added to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.
Scott Bingham, BBC Spotlight
The lynx arrived at Dartmoor Zoo from a wildlife park in Kent last night. The animal has been missing since 19:30 on Wednesday.
When we arrived the zoo was open, but has since closed following advice from the licencing authority.
Staff believe the lynx will be hiding during the day. A helicopter and police team with dogs to sniff out the lynx are being used.
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Claire Hawke
BBC Local Live
An air and ground search is continuing for a Carpathian lynx which has escaped its enclosure at Dartmoor Zoo.
The zoo's operations manager is George Hyde:
Keepers discovered the animal was missing this morning - just a day after it arrived.
Officers have warned people not to approach it and children at a nearby school have have been warned to stay inside.
Andrew Segal
Local Live
A 38-year-old man has been arrested after the bomb squad was call to a house in Plymouth and neighbouring properties were evacuated.
Police said, external they were called to the property on Craven Avenue, in the St Judes area, at about 17:35 on Wednesday after "concerns were raised following the discovery of suspicious items" in a basement. Adjoining properties were "evacuated as a precaution".
Bomb squad engineers confirmed a suspicious device "was not a live explosive" and the site was declared safe just before midnight. A man from the Exmouth area was arrested on suspicion of producing a controlled substance and is due to be questioned.
Chris Ellis
BBC News Online
The organisation that represents the zoo community said Dartmoor Zoo's "first priority is to locate and contain" the lynx after it escaped from its enclosure earlier today.
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) told BBC News: "Staff have established protocols which will assist them in doing this.
"Lynx are secretive animals and will try to avoid human contact. However it is imperative that the public do not approach the animal if spotted and allow trained staff to deal with the situation.
"We will be in contact with Dartmoor once the situation has been resolved."
Bee Tucker
BBC Weather
If you're planning a trip to the coast or seaside, here are the next high water times around Devon and Cornwall.
Press Association
George Hyde, from Dartmoor Zoo, told reporters: "We're quite fortunate because we're in a very rural location so in that respect the likelihood of the lynx coming into contact with people is very slim.
"If he did, he would look to get away from those people rather than attack.
He is a wild animal, he's captive bred, which means that he's never hunted and he's never killed for food." The zoo has been closed to members of the public after the Carpathian Lynx escaped. Police and staff are searching for the feline.
Claire Jones
BBC News Online
Danny Bamping, from the the British Big Cats Society, said the missing lynx had "done a bit of a Houdini" and now there's a "cat flap going on".
Mr Bamping said the animal "is not an immediate threat to the public".
"We're not dealing with a big cat like a lion, tiger, jaguar or leopard. The cat has been bred in captivity and will be far more scared of us than we should be of it."
Mr Bamping said this afternoon there would be drones flying over the area to help the search effort.
Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport
Exeter's Jo Pavey is waiting to see if she will be selected for Team GB at the Rio Olympics after achieving a qualifying time at the European Championships.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe 42-year-old Briton finished in fifth spot in Amsterdam with a season's best 31 minutes 34 seconds. She needed to finish in 32 minutes 15 seconds to potentially qualify for Rio. She has run at every Olympics since 2000, but has been struggling with a chest infection.
She said: "I've been really up against it fitness-wise and each week I've been getting a little bit fitter. It was only three or four weeks ago that I could run half a race at that pace.
"I have to wait and see what the selectors say - so many British girls have ran well this season. I really can't say what will happen. I'm pleased with my progress, I've given it everything that I could."
Dartmoor Zoo has been closed to members of the public after a Carpathian Lynx escaped.
George Hyde, Operations Manager, said: "We have a very good relationship with South Hams District Council, they are very understanding of our concerns here and the challenges that we face and we seek to be as co-operative as we possibly can."
Chris Ellis
BBC News Online
Dartmoor Zoo "is responding appropriately" after a lynx escaped from the wildlife park, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) has said.
It said: "We are aware of reports that a lynx has escaped from Dartmoor Zoo and is presumed to have made its way outside of the zoo's perimeter.
"Our understanding is that the zoo is responding appropriately, having notified the police and working with them to resolve the situation."
BIAZA is the professional organization representing the zoo and aquarium community.
Chris Ellis
BBC News Online
A spokesman from South Hams District Council said: "The police are currently leading the search for the missing animal.
"South Hams District Council as the licencing authority will be investigating the incident."
Devon and Cornwall Police said: "The animal - a two-year-old male - should not be approached as it could become dangerous if alarmed or cornered."
Claire Jones
BBC News Online
Staff at Welbeck Manor, a hotel and nine-hole golf course located in Sparkwell, have been warned about the Lynx missing from Dartmoor Zoo.
Manager John Nolan said: "The zoo phoned us this morning to let us know the lynx had gone missing.
"We've had helicopters flying around all morning and been told not to approach it if we see it.
"We've warned the golfers, but luckily they have got golf clubs on them as some form of defence.
"There are actually some golf clubs called Lynx Predator so they might come in handy."
Image source, GoogleScott Bingham, BBC Spotlight
I'm at Dartmoor Zoo and the wildlife park is currently open, but staff are in the process of getting people to leave.
South Hams District Council - the local authority - suggests zoo bosses should shut the wildlife park.
Image source, GoogleA helicopter was involved in the search earlier, but the zoo has requested it returns after dark as keepers are more hopeful of finding the lynx at night.
Image source, Devon and Cornwall PoliceStaff at Plymouth University and the University of St Mark and St John are on strike today as part of a wave of nationwide action in a row over pay and conditions.
The dispute between institutions and members of the University and College Union has arisen following a pay offer of 1.1%.
The union said universities "can afford to pay more and the offer did little to address the real-terms pay cut of 14.5% that members have suffered since 2009". The Universities and Colleges Employers Association previously said it was a "very good pay offer".
The lynx has been extinct in Britain for 1,300 years, but was once common throughout Europe.
The Carpathian Lynx, also known as the Eurasian Lynx, live in forested areas and are native to Europe, Russia and parts of Asia.
It is the third largest predator in Europe after the brown bear and grey wolf and the largest of the four lynx species.
Image source, ThinkstockThe average adult measures between 34-42in long (85-105cm) and has an 8in (20cm) tail and yellow/brown spotted coat.
It is an extremely efficient hunter using stealth and pounce techniques to bring down animals up to four times its size with a fatal bite to the neck or snout - sometimes after leaping from trees onto the backs of unsuspecting prey.
However, they mainly prey on hares, rabbits, rodents and grouse.
Jonathan Morris, BBC News Online
2006 Jaguar escapes from pen and into a tigers' enclosure before it was sedated by keepers
2007: Wolf clambered over the top of its enclosure before being recaptured
2016: Lynx digs its way out of its enclosure hours after arriving at the zoo
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