Key takeaways:
- Davion Irvin has been charged with six counts of animal cruelty and two counts of burglary in connection with mysterious events at the Dallas Zoo.
- The events began with the disappearance of a clouded leopard, and included a breach in the langur monkey enclosure, the death of an endangered vulture, and the alleged theft of two emperor tamarin monkeys.
- Michael Renner, a professor of biology and psychology at Drake University, said the events have left the industry baffled and the Dallas Zoo is continuing to investigate.
The Dallas Zoo has been the site of a series of mysterious events in recent weeks, culminating in the arrest of a 24-year-old man on Thursday. Davion Irvin has been charged with six counts of animal cruelty and two counts of burglary in connection with the events.
The events began on January 13th, when a clouded leopard was reported missing from its habitat. In the days and weeks that followed, a breach was found in the langur monkey enclosure, an endangered vulture was found dead, and two emperor tamarin monkeys were allegedly stolen.
Irvin’s arrest followed a sighting of him at another home for exotic animals, The Dallas World Aquarium, where an employee recognized him from news coverage of the missing monkeys.
Michael Renner, a professor of biology and psychology at Drake University in Iowa and the coordinator of its zoo and conservation science program, said the events have left the industry baffled. “People are pretty much dumbfounded,” he said. “I don’t know of a zoo that has been subjected to this kind of weirdness.”
The Dallas Zoo is continuing to investigate the events and is working to ensure the safety of its animals. They have not yet released any information on the whereabouts of the clouded leopard or the two missing tamarin monkeys.
Be First to Comment