A jaguar in Rio featured as part of an Olympic torch ceremony - but was shot dead shortly after when it escaped from its handlers.

Juma, a 17-year-old cat, was photographed with the flame as it headed through the Brazilian Amazon city of Manaus on Monday.

Bu shortly after Juma was fatally shot by a soldier at a zoo attached to a military training center where the Olympic torch ceremony was being held.

Four tranquiliser darts failed to slow Juma down, who had approached the soldier, prompting him to fire a single lethal shot.

"We made a mistake in permitting the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and unity, to be exhibited alongside a chained wild animal", the local organizing committee Rio 2016 said in a statement.

"This image goes against our beliefs and our values".

The committee added: "We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016".

Jaguars are a near-threatened species that is already extinct in Uruguay and El Salvador, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The shooting of Juma caused uproar among animal rights groups, which pointed to the recent killing of a gorilla at a Cincinnati zoo and alligators at Walt Disney World in Orlando as evidence of flawed policy towards wild animals.

Many questioned why the animal was involved in the Olympic event, while others claimed the event was illegal.

Rio 2016 will commence on 5th August, lasting for just over two weeks.