Dallas Zoo Offers $10K Reward for Information on Animal Incidents
The Dallas Zoo is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest of people responsible for any of the recent animal-related incidents at the zoo.[0] This announcement comes after the zoo reported the death of an endangered vulture on Sunday.
The vulture, named Pin, was at least 35 years old and had lived in the zoo for 33 years.[1] He was one of four lappet-faced vultures at the zoo, native to Africa and parts of the Middle East.[2] Two males and one female remain.[3]
The zoo said that the bird had an “unusual wound” and that it was not yet clear when it died. The zoo noted that the death did not appear to be naturally occurring and asked the Dallas Police Department to investigate.
This is the third strange occurrence to take place at the Dallas Zoo this month.[4] On the 13th of January, the zoo shut down for 24 hours due to a clouded leopard escaping from its enclosure, likely as a result of someone having used a tool to make a hole in the habitat.[4] On January 14th, one of the two clouded leopard sisters housed at the zoo managed to escape from her enclosure.[5] The zoo had to shut its doors while zookeepers and police officers hunted for a female leopard named Nova, who had vanished.[6] On the same day of her disappearance, Nova was luckily located unharmed and returned to her home.[6]
It isn’t clear whether the death of Pin is linked to the earlier incidents.[7] In an effort to assure citizens, Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold of Dallas declared that “all measures” were being taken to guard the zoo's animals.[8] She also encouraged visitors to report suspicious activity to authorities.[9]
The zoo has increased its security measures in the aftermath of the vulture’s death and the leopard’s escape.[0] An autopsy will be performed on the bird and police said the death is being investigated as suspicious.[10]
0. “Dallas Zoo won't rule out inside job in endangered vulture's suspicious death” FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.fox4news.com/news/dallas-zoo-suspicious-vulture-death-investigation
1. “Vulture died with ‘suspicious’ wound, Dallas Zoo officials say as investigation continues” AOL, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.aol.com/vulture-died-suspicious-wound-dallas-225053168.html
2. “Death of Beloved Vulture Latest in Series of Incidents at Dallas Zoo” D Magazine, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2023/01/death-of-beloved-vulture-latest-in-series-of-incidents-at-dallas-zoo
3. “Dallas Zoo offers $10000 reward after endangered vulture found dead” KERA News, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.keranews.org/news/2023-01-23/dallas-zoo-offers-10-000-reward-after-vulture-found-dead
4. “Endangered Vulture Found Dead At Dallas Zoo Under ‘Unusual' Circumstances” Patch, 22 Jan. 2023, https://patch.com/texas/dallas-ftworth/endangered-vulture-found-dead-dallas-zoo-under-unusual-circumstances
5. “Police Investigate ‘Suspicious' Vulture Death At Dallas Zoo” news9.com KWTV, 22 Jan. 2023, https://www.news9.com/story/63cdb20c1415a80728b53157/police-investigate-suspicious-vulture-death-at-dallas-zoo
6. “The Dallas Zoo Is Investigating an ‘Unusual' Vulture Death Days After Clouded Leopard's Escape” PEOPLE, 23 Jan. 2023, https://people.com/pets/dallas-zoo-investigating-unusual-vulture-death-days-after-clouded-leopards-escape
7. “Endangered Dallas Zoo Vulture Had a Wound, ‘Suspicious Death' Investigated” NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-police-investigating-suspicious-death-of-vulture-at-dallas-zoo/3176239
8. “A dead bird of prey with an ‘unusual wound' and other suspicious incidents rock the Dallas Zoo” Yahoo! Voices, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/now/dead-bird-prey-unusual-wound-080452450.html
9. “A dead vulture with an ‘unusual wound,' other suspicious incidents rock the Dallas Zoo” THE TIMES OF BENGAL, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.thetimesofbengal.com/international/a-dead-vulture-with-an-unusual-wound-other-suspicious-incidents-rock-the-dallas-zoo/
10. “Dallas Zoo officials ask cops to investigate ‘suspicious death' of one of its endangered vultures” Daily Mail, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11667647/Dallas-Zoo-officials-ask-cops-investigate-suspicious-death-one-endangered-vultures.html