Tasmania Zoo vandalism at Tasmania Zoo

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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Birds slaughtered at zoo - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
3 August 2012

Police are investigating the slaughter of about a dozen birds at the privately-owned Tasmania Zoo during a break-in.

Police believe several people broke into the zoo in the Launceston suburb of Riverside overnight and broke open the locks on several bird, wallaby and monkey enclosures.

They say the bird slaughter included budgerigars and two king parrots.

Zoo owner Dick Warren says many birds escaped from their open enclosures.

He says some have been recaptured but he is unsure how many he has lost.

"It's heartbreaking to see them, how could people do this sort of thing?"

"It hits you so hard.

"You're trying to run around trying to find things, what else is dead because you don't know what sort of a bombshell you're going to be hit with."
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Animals slaughtered during zoo break-in - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (there's a 45 second news video on this link too)
4 August 2012

Dozens of animals remain on the loose after a break-in at a northern Tasmanian zoo.

Police believe several people broke into Tasmania Zoo in the Launceston suburb of Riverside late Thursday or early Friday morning and cut the locks on several bird, wallaby and monkey enclosures.

Zoo owner Dick Warren says he found nine birds brutally slaughtered.

"They've just caught them and banged their heads and pulled their heads off," he said.

"It's heartbreaking to see them, how could people do this sort of thing? It hits you so hard."

About 60 birds and animals are still missing, including two rare swift parrots, a yellow-tailed black cockatoo and five quolls.

Animal keeper Courtney McMahon said the break-in has had a devastating impact on the zoo's breeding program.

"We're trying to increase numbers of threatened species and we've lost a good part of that program," she said.

However, Ms McMahon said it was a huge relief the zoo's population of disease-free Tasmanian devils were not harmed.

"The way that the birds were released, if these devils were released like that it would be a death sentence to them," she said.

"There's a good chance that they would, in the wild, contract the facial tumour disease which, once again, it's a death sentence."

Two chain saws were also stolen and police are appealing for witnesses.
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Zoo animals set free during break-in - Yahoo!7 Sport
4 August 2012

Dozens of animals remain on the loose after a break-in at a northern Tasmanian zoo.

Police believe several people broke into Tasmania zoo in the Launceston suburb of Riverside late Thursday or early Friday morning and cut the locks on several bird, wallaby and monkey enclosures.

Zoo owner Dick Warren says he found nine birds brutally slaughtered.

"It's heartbreaking to see them, how could people do this sort of thing?" he said.

"It hits you so hard."

About 60 birds and animals are still missing, including two rare swift parrots, a yellow-tailed black cockatoo and five quolls.

Animal keeper Courtney McMahon said the break-in has had a devastating impact on the zoo's breeding program.

"We're trying to increase numbers of threatened species and we've lost a good part of that program," she said.

However, Ms McMahon said it was a huge relief the zoo's population of disease-free Tasmanian devils were not harmed.

"The way that the birds were released, if these devils were released like that it would be a death sentence to them," she said.

"There's a good chance that they would, in the wild, contract the facial tumour disease which, once again, it's a death sentence."

Two chain saws were also stolen and police are appealing for witnesses.
Click to expand...
 
This really makes my blood boil. It's one thing to steal some chainsaws or even to steal some birds, but to just run amok and kill animals like that? It just makes you angry.
 
Damn ... what a disgraceful mess. :mad:

And the quolls gone along with the swift parrots.

This seems not just vandalism (but more disconcerting ... a mind and mission to it). I hope they can trace the vandals from sign and spoor at the site and bring them to justice ...!
 
Vandalism is one thing, but brutally beheading birds for fun is so sick and twisted. Scum like that should be euthanased.

:mad:

Hix
 
Hix said:
Vandalism is one thing, but brutally beheading birds for fun is so sick and twisted. Scum like that should be euthanased.
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I wasn't sure what to call the thread. I didn't want to be all "Sun Newspaper" and give it a title like "Animals Brutally Slaughtered At Tasmania Zoo" so I went with the catch-all "Vandalism". I agree not quite worthy of the severity of the actions of these mindless cretins. What's the bet that when caught they blame their upbringing and get a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.
 
I would rather they got a slap on the wrist with those chainsaws they stole. Would stop them from beheading any more innocent little creatures.

:mad:

Hix
 
Chlidonias said:
I wasn't sure what to call the thread. I didn't want to be all "Sun Newspaper" and give it a title like "Animals Brutally Slaughtered At Tasmania Zoo" so I went with the catch-all "Vandalism". I agree not quite worthy of the severity of the actions of these mindless cretins. What's the bet that when caught they blame their upbringing and get a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.
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More like a full years community service with the zoo and the requirement to catch up all the lost animals back up safely. :)
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
More like a full years community service with the zoo and the requirement to catch up all the lost animals back up safely. :)
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If it were my zoo I wouldn't have them near the place again, and certainly wouldn't allow them to endeavour to catch up any of the escapees.

Banging their heads might be an appropriate punishment - followed by several vigorous twists of their necks.
 
Steve Robinson said:
If it were my zoo I wouldn't have them near the place again, and certainly wouldn't allow them to endeavour to catch up any of the escapees.
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I agree - Kifaru Bwana's idea might sound appropriate and fair, but there's no way any of the animal caregivers I know would even contemplate letting these abominable persons come anywhere near their charges.


Zooplantman - every decade or so you hear about something like this. It's not a common occurrence, but it does happen periodically. I know Adelaide Zoo copped it in 1984 a couple of months after an ASZK conference there. That was the first time I discovered there were inhumans amognst us, and I've heard of a few others since then but can't remember where or when. Adelaide struck a chord because I'd been at the conference and had interacted with the animals in question when I was there.

:mad:

Hix
 
There was the attack on the Adelaide flamingo a couple of years ago.

Break-ins, with the intent of stealing animals, seem to be quite common at Australian Zoos (at least compared to NZ).
 
Zooplantman said:
Vile behavior.
How many Australian zoos have been attacked like this in recent years?
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some recent-ish incidents:

*an emu shot at the Hamilton Botanic Gardens: Hamilton garden's emu shot dead by slug gun | The Standard (May 2012)
*two Welsh tourists steal a little blue penguin from Sea World: http://www.zoochat.com/24/poms-pinch-penguin-268962/ (April 2012)
*a pair of cottontop tamarins stolen from Alma Park Zoo, the male of which was stomped to death: http://www.zoochat.com/24/tamarins-stolen-184446/ (October 2010)
*several cottontops and pigmy marmosets stolen from Symbio: http://www.zoochat.com/24/marmosets-tamarins-taken-raid-152725/ (June 2010)

*also the 2008 flamingo attack at Adelaide mentioned by Zooboy28 (it was a blind 75 year old flamingo bashed by teenagers, luckily it survived the ordeal)

There's lots more but these are just the ones that came to mind so I searched out the links.
 
Sickening to read about such cases. People who act so cruelly towards animals are not of sound mind and really should be referred for professional treatment. They certainly could have the same capacity for violence towards humans.

How's the animal cruelty law in Tasmania like?
 
I have a vague recollection of an alligator that was dragged from it's enclosure, bashed on the head and gutted. Can't remember where though.

:mad:

Hix
 
Chlidonias said:
some recent-ish incidents:

*an emu shot at the Hamilton Botanic Gardens: Hamilton garden's emu shot dead by slug gun | The Standard (May 2012)
*two Welsh tourists steal a little blue penguin from Sea World: http://www.zoochat.com/24/poms-pinch-penguin-268962/ (April 2012)
*a pair of cottontop tamarins stolen from Alma Park Zoo, the male of which was stomped to death: http://www.zoochat.com/24/tamarins-stolen-184446/ (October 2010)
*several cottontops and pigmy marmosets stolen from Symbio: http://www.zoochat.com/24/marmosets-tamarins-taken-raid-152725/ (June 2010)

*also the 2008 flamingo attack at Adelaide mentioned by Zooboy28 (it was a blind 75 year old flamingo bashed by teenagers, luckily it survived the ordeal)

There's lots more but these are just the ones that came to mind so I searched out the links.
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There was also an incident in which a (rather troubled) boy broke into Alice Springs Reptile Park and fed a lot of animals to a croc, as well as killing others.
 
Zoo finds a world of support Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania
6 August 2012

A ZOO which lost dozens of birds and animals in a vicious attack has received thousands of supportive emails from as far as the US, say its owners.

Tasmania Zoo staff on Friday found nine birds killed. About 80 had escaped from opened cages.

Police are investigating the crime at the Launceston park, which has been reported by news outlets around the world.

Owner Dick Warren said a few birds had returned home of their own accord because they had mates still inside.

Only six swift parrots are left from 18, a savage blow when the species is at risk of extinction.

"People have been wanting to donate, we're setting up a recovery unit to try and rebuild," he said.

"Some we'd be doubtful to be able to get again. Swift parrots are like gold now."

The zoo, in the suburb of Riverside, has been open to visitors.

Mr Warren's daughter Rochelle Penney said the public response was "huge".

"We've had thousands of emails, it's gone worldwide, CNN," she said. "People have been sending condolences and some asked about a donation page."

She hoped the donation page would be up today.
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Hix said:
Vandalism is one thing, but brutally beheading birds for fun is so sick and twisted. Scum like that should be euthanased.

:mad:

Hix
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I agree, there is something seriously wrong with these people who did this and little hope of rehabilitation. How many times will they do this again, to animals or humans in the future.

I know someone who has had fences cut and animals released, but not killed. He has even caught them and driven them to a police station, and they were convinced to do it by animal liberation propaganda like, all animals should be free and they think they are helping the animals.

These criminals though don't even have the excuse of trying to help the animals. :mad:
 
I remember growing up that people broke into the Adelaide Zoo and killed the guinea pigs in the Kids Zoo.

I was told by a keeper at a major Australian Zoo that they watched a father knock a kangaroo out cold by punching it in the head after the animal was overly eager towards the food his daughter was holding.

From experience at Dundee's Wildlife Park, we had people throw rocks at our paddock animals, throw pond goldfish to our big crocodile, and some mongrel even tried to steal my croc (I bought him from the park so he wouldn't go back to a farm, the green rainwater tank croc) by busting the wire top, staff caught him before he could take "Ledge" but not before Ledge grabbed his hand with his pearly whites :)

I have also heard a story/yarn of an ex-owner of a wildlife park get drunk and shoot some crocs at his park, I don't know if this story is real or not, I'd like to believe it's not.

Cheers
Daniel
 
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