Dartmoor Zoo enlists predator-tracking expert Arnie to hunt escaped Flaviu after two weeks of failure

A TOP animal tracker nicknamed Arnie has been hired to capture escaped lynx Flaviu.

Dartmoor Zoo chiefs enlisted Kevin Sampson after failing to catch the cat for two weeks.

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Helicopter police, thermal imaging drones and bloodhounds have all been used in the hunt.

Flaviu chewed his way out of an enclosure on July 6 after transferring from a zoo in Kent.

Kevin, 42, who hunts predators like the Schwarzenegger film character, has spent two nights searching in Devon. He said: “I’m enjoying the challenge.”

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Zoo operations manager George Hyde said: “There were little tips he pointed out to us which will be incredibly useful in future. For example,  rubbing cow pats on our feet to disguise our scents.

“A lynx in the wild will be familiar with the smell of a cow and its dung whereas the smell of a human would put it on its mettle because it would see us as a possible threat.

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Mr Hyde added: "Our task is being made more difficult because Flaviu is roaming over a wider and wider area. He seems to be looping out in each direction and those loops are getting bigger and bigger."

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The cat was last spotted on Wednesday night by a quarry worker. “He saw a lynx sitting watching him on a nearby grass verge," zoo boss Mr Hyde said.

"He was obviously somewhat surprised and it had probably been watching him for some time. Apparently Flaviu calmly ambled off.”