Interesting piece of zoo history from the night house which existed in the Skansen-Aquarium from 1981 to 2004.
"The Australian water rat "Hugo" made headlines in the newspapers because it was used for an unusual task. "Hugo" caught a pickpocket. Nocturnal animal houses are of course perfect places for thieves to pursue their "bread" - the "Moonlight Hall" in Skansen even became the preferred territory of a particular pickpocket, who regularly went there to catch prey. What even the use of plainclothes police officers could not do, Hugo did - he exposed the unwanted "guest". For this purpose, one of the animal keepers, with a shoulder bag, mingled with the visitors - easy prey for a pickpocket. However, there was no purse in it, but the rat. The thief fell into the trap on the second day - he reached expectantly into his pocket and "Hugo" bit down hard. The thief escaped with his hand bleeding profusely, but after this painful experience he refrained from further visits to the "Moonlight Hall""
The original paper has a picture of Hugo in the handbag, from the zoo guidebook from 1983.
Source: M Amend, Nachttierhäuser in Zoologischen Gärten, Arbeitsplatz Zoo, Sondernausgabe. Berufsverband der Zootierpfleger e. V.
"The Australian water rat "Hugo" made headlines in the newspapers because it was used for an unusual task. "Hugo" caught a pickpocket. Nocturnal animal houses are of course perfect places for thieves to pursue their "bread" - the "Moonlight Hall" in Skansen even became the preferred territory of a particular pickpocket, who regularly went there to catch prey. What even the use of plainclothes police officers could not do, Hugo did - he exposed the unwanted "guest". For this purpose, one of the animal keepers, with a shoulder bag, mingled with the visitors - easy prey for a pickpocket. However, there was no purse in it, but the rat. The thief fell into the trap on the second day - he reached expectantly into his pocket and "Hugo" bit down hard. The thief escaped with his hand bleeding profusely, but after this painful experience he refrained from further visits to the "Moonlight Hall""
The original paper has a picture of Hugo in the handbag, from the zoo guidebook from 1983.
Source: M Amend, Nachttierhäuser in Zoologischen Gärten, Arbeitsplatz Zoo, Sondernausgabe. Berufsverband der Zootierpfleger e. V.
