Petition Out to Shut Down Audubon Zoo After Jaguar Attack
A group of animal activists are circulating a petition to close down New Orleans' historic Audubon Zoo after a jaguar escaped last week and killed nine other animals. The 3 year old jag named Valerio escaped his enclosure and killed alpacas, foxes and one emu, and zoo officials took him down with a tranquilizer gun. No humans were injured, and the zoo was closed for the day following the incident. It was later determined that a break in a stainless steel cable barrier allowed the jaguar just enough room to escape and wreak havoc in the area.
Care2 Petitions has garnered over 57,000 names already in their quest to have the Zoo shuttered and have all the animals sent to sanctuaries. They maintain that no predatory animals should be locked up in zoos, at all.