Zoo horror as penguin is found decapitated in its enclosure, with its head left beside its body, prompting police hunt for killer
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A penguin has been found decapitated in its enclosure with its head left next to its body, prompting police to hunt for its killer.
Zookeepers made the horrible find this morning as they entered the enclosure at the Rostock Zoo in northern Germany to clean it, tabloid newspaper Bild reports.
A decapitated humboldt penguin was found lying on the ground with its severed head beside it as well as a bloody stone.
Police say it is not clear whether the penguin was killed in the location where its body was found, or whether it had been moved.
Since the head was sliced off clean, an attack by another animal seems unlikely, zookeepers have said.
Zookeepers made the horrible find this morning as they entered the enclosure at the Rostock Zoo in northern Germany to clean it, tabloid newspaper Bild reports. A decapitated humboldt penguin (like the ones pictured) was found lying on the ground with its severed head beside it as well as a bloody stone
Police spokeswoman Dörte Lemke confirmed the investigation and told Bild: ‘Due to the way the humboldt penguin was found it cannot currently be ruled out that the animal died as a result of external influence.
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‘A forensics team of Rostock police is currently securing evidence at the discovery location in the Zoo.’
The police is also investigating a potential case of trespassing.
Unfortunately, there is no known motive for the possible murder of the penguin yet.
Its body has been taken to the State Office for Agriculture for further examination, but the results are pending.
The Rostock Zoo hosts more than 6500 animals of more than 500 species and is the biggest animal park in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
As a humboldt penguin, the marine bird is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of endangered species.
The Rostock Zoo hosts more than 6500 animals of more than 500 species and is the biggest animal park in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
It has been awarded with the ‘Best European Zoo Award’ several times.
There have been no attacks or mistreatment by third parties registered at the zoo in recent years.
