Cheetah Escapees Follow Mother's Cries back to Zoo

Two young cheetahs that escaped from an Austrian zoo overnight returned to their enclosure a few hours later, led home by their mother's calls, the zoo said Tuesday.

"Their mother called them and they followed her cries," said Christine Beck, a spokeswoman at the zoo located near Salzburg.

Zookeepers were unaware the cheetahs were missing until police spotted them at around 6:30 am (04:30 GMT) and dispatched a team of 30 officers to the site, with a plan for experts to tranquillize the animals so as to bring them back to the zoo.

However, the operation proved pointless as the two cheetahs returned to their enclosure two hours later alongside zookeepers, following their mother's calls.

"It appears that the two were happy that their escapade came to an end," said Beck.

The animals are believed to have escaped through a door that was forced open during the night, allegedly by some youths.