Men Sentenced for Breaking Into Zoo, Kicking a Tiger, Throwing Bottle at Giraffe and Leaving Penguins With "Anxiety"
They took video of their own crimes.
Two men in the United Kingdom have been sentenced for breaking into a zoo and traumatizing the animals, an act the judge called "extraordinary stupidity." Nathan Daniels, 21, and Bradley Green, 24, cut through the barbed wire to get inside Marwell Zoo, near Eastleigh, Hants, which was closed due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
They then went on a cruel rampage, throwing items inside the animal enclosures and physically attacking the captive creatures. Here's what the two men did, and why the judge was so disgusted.
Daniels and Green broke into the closed zoo in February 2021 before carrying out the "distressing" attack, The Telegraph reports. Disinfectant bottles were thrown into enclosures, and one of them reportedly kicked out at a tiger after luring it to the fence.
They also threw a bottle at a giraffe's head, which ended up with two deep gashes in its leg as a consequence of distress. Irsula the giraffe has been at the zoo since 2011.
Daniels and Green also left items in the cheetah enclosure and broke into the penguin enclosure. They reportedly left the penguins "anxious, distressed and disturbed." The lawyer defending Green said he had "genuine deep regret and remorse" for what he had done, and was "shamed" because he considers himself an "animal lover."
The prosecution painted a picture of two men bent on cruelty to animals who couldn't defend themselves. "During the evening of 15 February damage was caused to enter the enclosed gates of the zoo and further damage to structure within it," Prosecutor Ellie Fargan told Winchester Crown Court. Green allegedly took videos of the incident himself to post on Snapchat, and the footage was shown in court.
Ms. Fargan continued: "The intention seemed to be that they wanted the attention of the animals, as items were thrown into their enclosures. Keepers were of the opinion damage caused to a door with giraffe hair on it in the enclosure was caused by giraffes hitting the door at force when in distress."
"Almost two years ago now, you two together had the idiotic idea of driving to Marwell Zoo during the lockdown when it was closed," said Judge Richard Parkes KC. "You, Daniels, cut the perimeter fence and got inside illicitly and when you were inside you acted with extraordinary stupidity." Green and Daniels have to serve a 12-month community service order, which consists of 120 hours of unpaid work. They have to each pay £750 to the zoo ($929).
