RUNAWAY LIONS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 286, 30 August 1935, Page 11

RUNAWAY LIONS

Thrills at Showground

Three young lions which escaped from their cage recently at the carnival showground, Darlington, Durham, had one glorious hour of liberty' in which they gave scores -of people a nasty shock. As the three beasts suddenly appeared round the tents and caravans people scattered in all directions, leaving the lions a clear field to pursue their adventures. < >.,v' One of them, Leo, prowled round the park, gave a man repairing the gates the shock of his life, jumped the rails into the road, and then set off on a burgling expedition. Making his way to the home of Mrs. H. Brown, Leo leapt over the fence and poked his head through the sitting-room window, biting off chunks, of glass in tbe process.

With her two children and Mrs. E. Pearson, Mrs. Brown saw all this from her bedroom window. In terror the women and children rushed to the bathroom, where they locked themselves in. In the meantime Leo went a-hnnting. He tried to get at a tame rabbit in a neighbouring. garden, failed, and was in turn hunted himself, to his undoing. Leo’s owner and trainer, Captain T. Kayes, and others from the showground cornered him in the garden, lassoed liim'ahd’took him back to captivity. ..

Rex, one of.. his cage companions; trapped himself by jumping on top of a corporation potting shed. .He fell through the glass roof and became a prisoner, where Captain Kayes roped him securely until a portable cage called for him. '. • ■ V ■"

Lion No. 3, Babe, prowled round the showground, giving sightseers more fun of the fair than they bargained for until his liberty was ended by a skilful throw of the lassoo. The lions, which are about eight months old, escaped- by undoing a latch after some boys had apparently lifted another latch.