The cat that got the scream: puma strolls into kitchen - and wrecks it
Police said animal was well cared for, suggesting it was an escaped pet or was released into wild and was trying to get home
A Chilean woman woke up to a rather unwelcome guest when she found a puma roaming around in her kitchen.
Amalin Haddad had been making breakfast when she spotted the big cat at her home in the Lo Curro area of Santiago, Chile.
Initially mistaking the wild animal for a dog, Ms Haddad screamed when she realised that she was face-to-face with a predator and locked the puma in the kitchen before calling the authorities.
Ms Haddad's son, Nicolas Selma, said he was alerted to the disturbance by his mother's screams and went downstairs to investigate.
The two-year-old puma did not attack either of them, but did wreck the kitchen. Pictures taken by Ms Haddad from outside the property show the animal chewing on a window blind and tearing apart furniture.
Ms Haddad said: "I was making breakfast and all of a sudden … I thought it was a dog because I saw its legs first, but it was a puma. A puma, a puma like those you see in the zoo."
The creature was finally taken from the house by the Agricultural and Livestock Service of Chile (SAG) - but not before it had managed to remove several tranquiliser darts. It was then taken to the national zoo, where it was treated for minor injuries.
It is not yet known how the puma made its way into the property, but police said it was well cared for, suggesting it was probably a pet that had either escaped or was released into the wild and was trying to get home.
Officers have not said what will happen to the puma once it has recovered from its exploits.
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