Mexico zoo director fed stolen goats to staffers

The director of a private zoo in southern Mexico stole four of the sanctuary’s pygmy goats and served them to staff at their Christmas party, authorities said.

José Rubén Nava is accused of a cruel scheme in which he stole and sold dozens of animals from the Zoológico Zoochilpan in Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero.

In some cases, Nava, who was at the helm for just a few months, is said to have killed the animals for no reason.

“These four animals were slaughtered and cooked on the zoo grounds and were served as food at the year-end party,” said Fernando Ruiz Gutierrez, director of wildlife at the state environment ministry, of the pygmies.

“This endangered the health of the people who ate them because these animals were unfit for human consumption.”

The alleged abuse was uncovered on Jan. 14 when a neighbor of the zoo found an injured deer with dog bites and a bruised leg near his home, EL PAÍS reported. The deer was taken back to the hospital where it died a few days later.

Four of the zoo’s pygmy goats were reportedly cooked and served on the orders of José Rubén Nava.ullstein bild via Getty Images

Nava was fired after the deer escaped for mistreating the animal; his leg was sewn up without anesthetic and his antlers were cut off.

While investigating the deer’s alleged mistreatment, officials discovered that dozens of animals had disappeared during Nava’s brief rule of the zoo.

Nava reportedly traded a zebra to a person in Querétaro, about 300 miles away, in exchange for three red deer. He is also accused of selling four Watusi bulls to someone in the state of Mexico about 160 miles away in exchange for materials and tools “necessary for the proper functioning of this zoo’s facilities,” officials said.

Nava had only been director of the Zoológico Zoochilpan for a few months when he carried out his alleged plan.Google Maps

Four of the zoo’s 10 pygmy goats were executed and served to zoo staff, officials claimed.

The whereabouts of a jaguarundi, a coyote, 10 reptiles, a baby macaw and a red-tailed hawk are completely unknown, while several births that took place on Nava’s orders have gone unregistered or been reported as false deaths, officials claim.

According to EL PAÍS, Nava faces crimes against health, wildlife trafficking and animal cruelty.

With mail wires