Zoo boss kills four goats before serving them up to eat at Christmas party

02 February 2023 , 12:33

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The zoo director stole four of the zoo's male pygmy goats to kill and cook (Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)

A former zoo director killed four pygmy goats and served them up at a Christmas party, authorities have revealed.

When one of the zoo's deers died, the old director was forced to resign and Jose Ruben Nava stepped up to run the zoo in the city of Chilpancingo, southern Mexico.

But officials have now revealed that under Mr Nava's stewardship that some of the animals in the zoo's collection had allegedly been sold off, traded or eaten under his orders.

The state environment department said a zebra was traded for tools and deer and Watusi cattle were traded off to private individuals, without proper accounting.

But the most shocking accusation was made by Fernando Ruiz Gutierrez, the state environment department's director of wildlife.

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'These four animals were slaughtered and cooked on the zoo's premises' (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

He said Nava stole four of the zoo's male pygmy goats to kill and cook for a Christmas party.

"These four animals were slaughtered and cooked on the zoo's premises, and were served as food at the year-end party," Ruiz Gutierrez said.

While it is not only shocking for animal welfare, they were not suitable for humans to eat.

Mr Gutierrez continued: "This put the health of the people who ate them at risk because these animals were not fit for human consumption."

It was not clear if Nava had been formally charged in the case, or if he had a lawyer.

Mexico has long had a problem with private citizens illegally acquiring exotic animals.

'They were not suitable for humans to eat' (Getty Images)

Drug traffickers in Mexico have been known to build private menageries of lions, tigers and other wild animals.

Last year in Mexico's southern mountainous region, authorities found 177 lions, tigers, jaguars and other exotic big cats that they believe had been seized “for the crime of improper use of property and mistreatment of animals."

Mexico City police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch said 202 animals in all, including monkeys, dogs, donkeys and coyotes, were being taken to other locations.

While the dwelling was called an animal sanctuary, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called the site a “false sanctuary”, saying it had been complaining for years that the facility was engaged in abusive practices.

PETA said the lions, tigers and jaguars were held in relatively small fenced-in pens, sometimes with more than one animal per enclosure, and also were forced to interact with humans for “selfies” or videos.

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