A jaguar used in an Olympic torch relay ceremony in Brazil on Monday has been shot dead after it escaped its leash and tried to attack a soldier.

A jaguar used in an Olympic torch relay ceremony in Brazil on Monday has been shot dead after it reportedly escaped its leash and tried to attack a soldier.

Four tranquilliser darts failed to stop the female jaguar, so a soldier shot it with a pistol.

On its Facebook page, the local Olympic organising committee said it had been wrong to "allow the Olympic Torch, a symbol of peace and of the union among the peoples, to be displayed alongside a wild animal in chains".

"We guarantee that we will not see more situations like this in the Rio 2016 Games," the committee added.

Ibama, Brazil's environmental protection agency, told the Amazonia Real news agency it did not authorise Juma's presence at the event.