ESCAPED JAGUAR GOES ON RAMPAGE

ORLEANS» A jaguar at a New NEW

Orleans zoo slipped out of its enclosure and went on a killing rampage Friday night, attacking four alpacas, an emu and a fox trapped in their own habitats before zoo officials managed to sedate it.

The big cat was reported missing at 7:20 a.m. Saturday, before the Audubon Zoo opened, officials said in a news release. By 8:15 it had been spotted, tranquilized and returned to its enclosure by veterinarians.

Three animals were killed; three others were being cared for. No humans were injured, although the circumstances of the escape sparked a worrisome thought at what might have been: The “jaguar jungle” is also home to a children’s play area.

During a news conference Saturday, zoo officials insisted the facility was safe for the general public, even though they wouldn’t say how the predator managed to escape and either kill or injure every alpaca on zoo property.

The jaguar, a 3-year-old named Valerio, didn’t appear to be eating the animals it went after but rather was engaged in a territorial display, said Kyle Burks, the zoo’s vice president and managing director. The animals it pounced on were unable to escape their own enclosures.

The zoo was closed Saturday as officials tried to discover how the jaguar escaped, and grief counselors were brought in for traumatized staff. The zoo plans to reopen Sunday.