The Fugitive

Sorry but I am going to have to beat Jes to it. I have been holding onto this little story for 3 days and just have to get it down... plus I think that Booboobear will like it. Not far from where I live there was a jail break recently... well not really a jail break, but a ZOO break.
in, an Asian short clawed Otter and two of her friends had just been given a new enclosure at Auckland Zoo. Turns out it wasn't the best design and the three made a break for it. Jin's two friends where captured fairly quicly but Jin made her way to a stream, down a river and then out to sea.

Once she was out in the free world Jin covered about 20km or 13 miles, no small feat for a little Otter, especailly for a freshwater Otter at sea! The Zoo staff, Depertment of Conservation and the public of Auckland where on the hunt. As the days turned into weeks everyone was worried... you see Jin was born at Auckland Zoo, so frolicking out in the wild and having to hunt for her own food was a new experience for her.

There were numerous sitings of her. She crossed the harbour and made her way to Devonport, around North Head and up to Cheltenham Beach. Next she was sighted at Stanley Bay, where Navy boats checked the shoreline and police searched the streets to no avail.

She crossed the busy shipping channel to Rangitoto Island where she was spotted late last month but then swam back and was seen at Narrowneck on the Takapuna side of the gulf. She swam back to Rangitoto Island where she was seen sunning herself on the beach. Here is a map of Jins Journey...

After nearly a month on holiday, Jin was caught in a cage on Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf on Monday. She is in great condition. The Zoo Vets said she seemed to be getting good food but she did lose a kilogram of weight... see swimming is good for weight loss.

Original News Articles
NZ Herald
Waikato Times