Durham Police, New Hampshire State Police, and the state wildlife department are searching for Fluffy, the Durham Zoo’s prized Romanian spotted leopard, which recently escaped its enclosure and was last seen last night at closing around 9 p.m. 

The zoo has been closed, visitors - including crying children and scowling adults - have been evacuated, and police are searching the zoo and surrounding area for Fluffy.

"Fluffy would never hurt anyone," one patron said as he was leaving the zoo.

Zoo officials, however, are warning Durham residents that - while generally mild-tempered - Fluffy could react violently and attack.

"Fluffy is a wonderful, warm, gentle cat who has never hurt anyone," said the zoo's chief biologist Kitty Smith. "But if these cats are cornered - or encountered on a dark night - their defense is to kill, and kill quickly."

Smith advises anyone who comes into contact with the black-and-white-spotted, 146-pound leopard to slowly lie on the ground, avoid eye contact, and expect sniffing and licking.

"...Unless she senses fear she's not likely to react violently," Smith added.

Durham Police Chief William Blair said that police forces will be searching the zoo first, then the neighborhood. After it starts to get dark, however, police will have difficulty locating the dark leopard.

"We have got to find her before 3 p.m.," said Blair. "If we don't, it could be a very messy night. These cats are nearly impossible to find in the dark - they can see everything, and we are blind."

Blair added that the police will use deadly force with the leopard if need be.

"If possible, Fluffy will be shot with a tranquilizer gun. But if necessary, we will shoot to kill."

One of Fluffy's fans, James Petronkis of Newmarket, claims he was the one to tell the zoo and police about Fluffy's absence once he arrived at the zoo when it opened at 7:30 a.m.

"Everything seemed normal, until I got to the cage. Then I knew something was wrong right away. Fluffy usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps, but there was no nest - there wasn't even any straw."

According to Petronkis he tried to alert zoo officials of Fluffy's disappearance several times. Officials did not believe him until after they looked through the enclosure. He then hid in the zoo until police found him and kicked him out.

"That's gratitude for you," said Petronkis.

Fluffy is one of five remaining Romanian spotted leopards after the species was hunted in Romania. She is the only female left, and next month she was to be taken to China to mate with a male owned by the Chinese government.