Two animals have been killed after escaping from their enclosure at a reserve.

The waterbuck were shot after breaking out from Port Lympne near Hythe on Saturday.

The two adult animals – a type of antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa – then got onto a public footpath.

A witness said: "My family and I were walking the Hythe loop when we saw keepers with tranquilliser guns; we were stopped and told to go back.

"We heard three gunshots and were told several different stories by different members of staff, then we were told that they had to kill the animals and not to go one way cause it would be upsetting to children."

A spokesman for Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve said the decision to euthanise the animals had to be made in the interest of public safety.

"Late on Saturday afternoon, two waterbuck escaped from their enclosure and managed to access a public footpath," he said.

"After concerted attempts to get the animals back into their enclosure, it was deemed that, as a category one animal, they could become a danger to the public and the decision to euthanise them was made.

"All of the necessary authorities have been kept fully informed and an internal investigation will take place in due course."

Earlier this year, it was revealed how Port Lympne had reported five animals escaping from its site in as many months.

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