No sign of escaped antelope in RI

Hopkinton, R.I. (AP) — Environmental officials in Rhode Island say there have been no recent sightings of an antelope that escaped from a private wildlife collection in Hopkinton.

A Department of Environmental Management spokeswoman said Friday that it is unclear what happened to the 500-pound animal after it disappeared Nov. 20. It was being readied for relocation to Texas when it escaped. The owner of the collection did not have the required state permit to keep the antelope.

The animal belongs to a species native to Asia and is described as resembling a large brown deer without antlers.

The spokeswoman says the state received some calls about unconfirmed sightings of the antelope but has not heard any reports about the animal's possible location in more than a week.