EXCLUSIVE: No Foul Play In Bucharest Zoo Runaway Jaguar Death

Police experts have established that the net around the cage of the escapee jaguar that was killed in a capture attempt by caretakers at the Bucharest Zoo late November was weakened because it was very old, and no foul play was involved in the animal’s breakout attempt.

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Chief commissioner Christian Ciocan of the Bucharest police told MEDIAFAX Tuesday that experts have completed technical investigations and concluded the cage net was very old and not strongly welded and the animal could have broken the net by simply leaning on it. Experts thus excluded ay allegation of foul play.

Bety the jaguar, aged two, born and raised in captivity, managed to escape its cage late November. Visitors were immediately evacuated.

The zoo general manager told the media one of the stray dogs that hang around the zoo rushed to the feline barking, and the jaguar killed it. Zoo caretakers and a veterinarian tried to tranquilize the feline but failed, and then tried to capture it with nooses. The jaguar died shortly afterwards.

Foul play was initially suspected in the animal’s breakout attempt, as the land hosting the zoo is very valuable to real estate developers.

Bucharest general mayor Adriean Videanu said in November that the destination of the land would remain unchanged at least as long as he is mayor.

The Bucharest zoo stretches on six hectares in the city’s northern area.

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