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Black panther casually strolls along city rooftop as shocked residents flee

Residents were stunned to spot a black panther taking a casual stroll along the window ledges of a building.

Video shows the impressive cat prowling the roofs of the residential building in Armentières, near Lille, in northern France, on Wednesday.

The majestic animal, at about the size of a small Labrador dog, walks along a second-floor ledge and goes in and out of an open window for nearly an hour.

Witnesses told local media that the black panther "would stop to watch a nearby train go by or to stare fixedly at a cat running down the street."

Eyewitnesses also snapped these pictures of the huge predator walking past the windows of their 1930s brick houses. 

Local media La Voix du Nord reported the panther had entered an apartment where a 15-year-old girl was present.

She then fled upon seeing the animal walk into the room.

Police responded to the scene and set up a cordon as soon as they received reports from nearby residents.

Fire services and a veterinarian were also called to trap the animal in one of the homes before tranquilising it with a dart.

Kader Laghouati from the Animal Protection League organisation in Lille said the panther is about five or six months old and weighs about 20kg (45lbs).

He added that the animal had been domesticated by its owner and was not aggressive.

Its claws were clipped and it was in good health in general.

Once captured, the panther was put in a cage and handed over to animal protection organisation called The League for the Protection of Animals.

French authorities are now looking to speak to the owner for endangering others and to find out where they got the animal.

Wildlife officials would also like to get in touch to know what conditions the panther was being held in.

Firemen said it was an "unusual" operation.

A police officer said: "After 20 years on the force, I have never seen anything like it. A snake, sure. But not a big cat like this."

The force stressed that only a zoo would be able to obtain a permit to keep such an animal.

If the panther had become aggressive during the incident, officers would have to shoot it dead.

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