Probe into theft of zoo animals

He claimed a scarlet macaw chick and eggs disappeared from the zoo two weeks ago and a deer plus four wild hogs (quenks) vanished from their enclosures recently.

“It’s systematic, wholesale stealing of the zoo’s wildlife by unscrupulous persons,” the environmentalist angrily stated.

He continued: “when two deer are stolen, it easily amounts to $10,000 worth in wild meat. This kind of stealing has been going on for a long time and the perpetrators apparently are untouchable and protected by other individuals.”

He said it costs the country a lot of money to maintain the zoo and it was horrendous that animals are being stolen from inside of the zoo itself.

President of the Zoological Society Guptee Lutchmedial said he has requested a report from zoo curator Kenneth Caesar, to verify whether the animals are missing or not and a report from the security officers on duty at the time. He said 16 security cameras are soon to be installed around the entire perimeter of the zoo to monitor it after working hours.

However, Richard Joseph, zookeeper II/supervisor, categorically denied the environmentalist’s stealing claim as being “fabrications.”

Joseph said the stealing of animals in the zoo is a criminal offence and if the animals were indeed missing, the zoo’s administration would have reported the matter to the police.

He admitted there were reports of animal thefts several years ago when security at the zoo was non-existent, but since security personnel was brought in the thefts stopped.

“There are two guards posted 24 hours a day at the zoo patrolling the fence and there are two security cameras in operation at the zoo,” he said. Joseph also denied any claim of a possible inside job behind the alleged animal thefts.