Penguin found decapitated in zoo in horror mystery death as police launch probe
Police say they have launched an investigation after a penguin was found decapitated in a zoo with its severed head left next to its body.
The humboldt penguin was discovered by horrified workers at Rostock Zoo in northern Germany on Tuesday morning after they entered the enclosure for daily cleaning. A bloodied stone was reportedly found next to the animal.
Sources at the zoo told German tabloid Bild the relatively smooth cut on the penguin's head suggested it had not been attacked or killed by another animal. Police have cordoned off the alleged crime scene, and are hoping to establish whether the dead penguin was killed in the same place it was found.
The zoo said it 'cannot currently be ruled out that the animal died as a result of external influence' (Christopher Hirsch/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Dörte Lemke, spokeswoman for Rostock police, told the newspaper: "Due to the situation in which the Humboldt penguin was found, it cannot currently be ruled out that the animal died as a result of external influence. The investigation of evidence at the site of discovery in the zoo is currently being carried out by the Rostock Criminal Police Office. She added that an autopsy showed that the penguin had "multiple bite injuries", and said police were also investigating a potential case of trespassing.
The bird's body has been taken to the German Federal Agency of Agriculture and Food (BLE) for further examination. It is not known why the penguin would have been killed. Rostock Zoo houses 4,500 animals of 450 different species from all over the world, and is located within a large city park. It received a "Best European Zoo Award” in 2015 and 2018 within Category II of the competition, which judges zoos with up to a million guests each year.
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