The director of a private zoo in southern Mexico stole four pygmy goats from the sanctuary and served them to staff at a Christmas party, authorities said.
José Rubén Nava is accused of running a horrific scheme in which he stole and sold dozens of animals from the Zoológico Zoochilpan in Chilpancingo, Guerrero’s capital.
In some cases, Nawa, who had been at the helm for only a few months, allegedly killed the animals for little reason.
“These four animals were slaughtered and cooked on the zoo premises, and served as food at a year-end party,” said Fernando Ruiz Gutierrez, director of wildlife at the state Department of Environment. said about the pygmies.
“This endangered the health of those who ate them, as these animals were unfit for human consumption.”
The alleged abuse came to light on January 14 when a neighbor of the zoo found an injured deer with a dog bite and an injured leg near his home. EL PAÍS reported. The deer was taken back to the hospital, where it died several days later.
Nava was fired for animal abuse after the deer escaped. His leg was sown without anesthesia and his horns were cut off.
While investigating the alleged mistreatment of the deer, authorities discovered that dozens of animals had gone missing during Nava’s brief tenure at the zoo.
Nava allegedly traded the zebra to a man in Querétaro, about 300 miles away, in exchange for three red deer. He is also accused of trading four Watosus bulls to someone in the state of Mexico, 160 miles away, in exchange for supplies and equipment needed “for the proper operation of the zoo’s facilities,” officials said.
Officials claimed that four of the zoo’s 10 pygmy goats were hanged and presented to the zoo’s own staff.
Authorities allege that the whereabouts of a jaguar, a coyote, 10 reptiles, a baby macaque and a red-tailed hawk are completely unknown, while several births that occurred during Nava’s direction were either unregistered or unregistered. They were registered as false deaths.
According to EL PAÍS, Nava faces charges of species trafficking and animal abuse, in addition to crimes against health.
With post wires
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