Zoo Panther Kill Causes Stir Among Bucharest Officials

"The PC councilors ask Bucharest general mayor Adriean Videanu and deputy mayor Razvan Murgeanu to consider the report of the Commission for the Analysis and Control of the Administration at the Bucharest Zoo, compiled in June 2007 and to dismiss the management of the zoo," said a press release issued by the party, referring to the report compiled after the death of elephant Gaya and the fact that Tuesday, a runaway panther was killed.

At the same time, the councilors said they would notify the General Prosecutors’ Office regarding general mayor Videanu, Bucharest City Hall secretary general Tudor Toma and deputy mayor Murgeanu because they disregarded the matters presented by the general councilors, in the report.

"In the report compiled after the death of the elephant, councilors indicated that there is no training, which is a legal provision, for the zoo employees, for the situation in which a wild animal escapes, which might have serious consequences," said the press release.

The conservatives said they would notify the General Prosecutors’ Office in the case of the jaguar, reasoning that "Bucharest Zoo visitors need security, while lack of observance for the law might endanger human lives."

The councilors also demand investigation of the causes leading to the death of many animals in the Bucharest Zoo in the past two years and collection of acquisition and maintenance cost for these animals directly from the people responsible for their deaths.

Videanu decided to initiate an investigation regarding the incident.

Through this investigation, City Hall inspectors would determine the causes that led to the escape of the animal, the steps taken during the capture operation and the circumstances in which the animal was killed.

When the animal escaped, zoo employees immediately evacuated all visitors from the premises and went after the animal. Veterinarians tried to tranquilize the animal but failed. Caretakers then proceeded to use dogcatcher nooses as the animal was attempting to jump the fence of the zoo. The animal soon died.