It is still not clear if he had been formally charged. (Representative pic)
The former director of a zoo in Mexico allegedly killed and served up four of the zoo's pygmy goats at a Christmas dinner party, according to authorities. On Tuesday, the state environment officials accused Jose Ruben Nava, the former director of the local zoo in the Mexican city of Chilpancingo, of killing the goats and then cooking them on the zoo's premises for a Christmas party, The Independent reported.
As per the official investigation, Mr Nava had allegedly ordered some of the animals in the zoo's collection to be sold off, traded or eaten. The state environment department said a zebra was traded for tools and deer, and Watusi cattle were traded to private individuals without proper accounting, as per the outlet.
Fernando Ruiz Gutierrez, the state environment department's director of wildlife, also alleged that shockingly, Mr Nava had four of the zoo's male pygmy goats killed and cooked for an end-of-year banquet.
Also Read | Bill Gates Takes Dig At Elon Musk, Says He'd Rather Fund Vaccines Than Travel To Mars
"These four animals were slaughtered and cooked on the zoo's premises, and were served as food at the year-end party," Mr Gutierrez said. "This put the health of the people who ate them at risk, because these animals were not fit for human consumption," he added.
Notably, Mr Nava was replaced as director of the zoo in Chilpancingo city on January 12 after the death of a deer. It is still not clear if he had been formally charged in the case, or if he had a lawyer.
Meanwhile, according to The Independent, Mexico has long had a problem with private citizens illegally acquiring exotic animals. Earlier this week, police in the central city of Aguascalientes said that a loose lion attacked and seriously injured a woman on the patio of her home. The animal even attacked two dogs and a cat after apparently escaping from her nearby home.
The woman is reportedly still receiving treatment at a hospital with injuries to her legs, skull and a lung. The officials captured the lion later on Tuesday and sent it to a local zoo.