A series of alleged crimes that has shaken the Dallas Zoo in recent weeks has left the industry baffled as well.
“I don’t know of a zoo that has been subjected to this kind of weirdness,” said Michael Renner, a professor of biology and psychology at Drake University in Iowa and the coordinator of its zoo and conservation science program.
“People are pretty much dumbfounded,” he said. “They’re grasping for a pattern that will lead them to an explanation.”
The events began on Jan. 13, when a clouded leopard was reported missing from her habitat. In the days and weeks that followed, a breach was found in the langur monkey enclosure, an endangered vulture was found dead and a pair of emperor tamarin monkeys were allegedly stolen.
Tom Schmid, CEO and president of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, said he hadn’t seen anything like it.
“It’s unexplainable,” he said. “I can’t think of a situation like this in my 20-plus years in the field.”
More on the mysterious episodes at the Dallas Zoo
As they struggle with how to make sense of it, the Dallas Zoo is promising “significant changes” to the facility’s security to keep anything of the sort from ever happening again.
Authorities on Friday linked a 24-year-old zoo visitor to three of the cases, including the alleged stealing of two emperor tamarin monkeys. Davion Irvin was arrested Thursday and is accused of burglary and cruelty to animals charges.
Bella and Finn, the tamarins, were found unharmed in the closet of an vacant home Tuesday.
Irvin also faces a burglary charge in connection with the escape of Nova, the clouded leopard, the Dallas Police Department said. Irvin is “linked” to the incident involving the langur monkeys but has not been charged in that case.
Neither the leopard, Nova, nor the langurs were injured.
Irvin has also not been accused in the Jan. 21 death of Pin, a 35-year-old lappet faced vulture who was found with what zoo officials described as an “unusual wound.”
Dallas police…
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