MEXICO CITY ( Associated Press) — The director of a zoo in southern Mexico was fired after alleged irregularities in the handling of some animals were discovered, ranging from the sale and exchange of specimens to equipment and supplies to feed center staff. involves the slaughter of goats. State officials announced.
Guerrero state’s secretary of environment and natural resources, Ángel Almazan Juárez, announced to the press that the director of the Zoochilpán Zoo, José Nava, had been dismissed for alleged irregularities, such as the exchange of four vatasis—a bovid that Looks like a big horned cow for materials, equipment and supplies for the center which operates in the state capital city of Chilpancingo.
Almazan Juárez reported on Tuesday that an investigation also revealed that the sacked director exchanged one zebra for three red deer, whose value is much lower than that of the zebra, without authorization from the environment ministry.
The official noted that the four wattles and the zebra had been moved to the states of Mexico and Querétaro.
The investigation at the zoo remains open as other irregularities were discovered with animals such as wild sheep, pygmy goats, jaguarundis (felines), coyotes, reptiles, a red-tailed hawk and a harlequin macaw, Almazán Juárez explained. Without saying
As the head of the wildlife department of the State Environment Secretariat, Fernando Ruiz, the zoo’s former director reportedly kept four pygmy goats, which were to be slaughtered and cooked in the center’s facilities to be served at a weekend party. of workers.
“With this fact, the health of consumers is put at risk because they were not animals fit for human consumption,” Ruiz told the press.
Almazán Juárez has not yet indicated whether the former director of the zoo will be subjected to judicial process.
The investigation into the case began at the beginning of the year after zoo residents reported the death of a deer that had been rescued from the streets after being attacked by dogs. Local media reported that the deer was found dead and without antlers. The zoo’s former director had alleged at the time that the deer had died of blood loss.
On the other hand, the Secretary of Public Security of the central state of Aguascalientes confirmed that on Tuesday a two-year-old African lioness was caught in the capital of that institution, which had escaped from the house where it was kept captive and which belonged to one of the community. Attacked the resident, two dogs and a cat.
The big cat attacked a 40-year-old woman on Tuesday who accidentally encountered the animal when she was out in the courtyard of her modest home, said Commissioner General Antonio Martinez Romeo, secretary of public security for the municipality of Aguascalientes. The condition of the woman remains critical with injuries to her skull, one lung and lower limbs.
The African lioness belonged to a resident of Aguascalientes, identified as Giovani “N”, 34, who was arrested after the incident. Officials did not specify how the big cat escaped captivity, which was transferred to Rodolfo Landeros Park in that city after the incident.
Mexican authorities in recent months have confiscated some big cats that were in the possession of exotic animal enthusiasts and criminals.
