Two yobs left animals at a preferred zoo feeling ‘very distressed’ after they broke in throughout a raid that noticed a bottle thrown at a giraffe’s head, a court docket heard.
Nathan Daniels, 21, reduce the barbed wire fence at Marwell Zoo in earlier than he and confederate Bradley Inexperienced carried out the February 2021 assault.
Video footage posted on social media on the time of the break-in appeared to indicate a bottle being thrown on the head of a giraffe. A tiger was additionally filmed apparently being inspired to method a fence earlier than being kicking out at and scared away.
Daniels pleaded responsible to damaging the penguin’s enclosure whereas Inexperienced, 24, admitted damaging an enclosure containing giraffes.
Nathan Daniels, 21, (left) reduce the barbed wire fence at Marwell Zoo in earlier than he and confederate Bradley Inexperienced (proper) carried out the February 2021 assault
Video footage posted on social media on the time of the break-in appeared to indicate a bottle being thrown on the head of a giraffe
Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court docket heard that, in line with keepers on the zoo close to Eastleigh, Hampshire, lots of the animals had been left ‘very distressed’ by the nighttime raid – notably the giraffes, cheetahs and tigers.
A number of police items, together with armed response officers with evening imaginative and prescient goggles, a canine unit and a helicopter had been dispatched to catch the intruders following the incident, amid fears endangered animals had been in danger.
Beforehand, the court docket heard the gang had reduce via a ‘double chain hyperlink fence’ earlier than the yobs entered.
Prosecuting, David Fosler informed magistrates: ‘The zoo’s normal upkeep supervisor discovered that an inner fence had been reduce in a vertical line.
Mr Fosler famous that the barbed wire fence had additionally been reduce and several other animal enclosures had been interfered with.
‘The zoo’s keepers say the animals had been very distressed, notably the giraffes, cheetahs and tigers,’ he defined.
Video footage posted on social media on the time of the incident at Marwell Zoo close to Eastleigh, Hants, appeared to indicate a bottle being thrown on the head of a giraffe
A tiger was additionally filmed apparently being inspired to method a fence earlier than being kicking out at and scared away
Lots of the animals had been left ‘very distressed’ by the nighttime raid – notably the giraffes, cheetahs and tigers
Daniels and Inexperienced admitted the costs once they appeared at Winchester Crown Court docket. Inexperienced has additionally admitted inflicting animal cruelty.
Nonetheless, expenses of housebreaking and prison injury in opposition to pals Jason Huggitt, 24, and 23-year-old Coral Lock, had been was {accused} of aiding the offenders, had been dropped.
Daniels and Inexperienced, each from Fareham, had been launched on unconditional bail till they seem once more at Winchester Crown Court docket for sentencing in January.
Choose Andrew Barnett warned the pair if they didn’t attend, they’d be committing an extra prison offence.
Marwell Zoo opened in 1972 and has proved a preferred household vacation spot since. It has been dwelling to giraffes and tigers since then and at the moment properties 4 giraffes and two tigers.
Their colony of Humboldt penguins lately misplaced ‘a number of’ birds after a breakout of avian flu however guests can nonetheless take pleasure in seeing different endangered species like Southern White Rhinoceros, Amur Leopards, Large Anteaters and Pygmy hippos.
