Only 55 days into 2013 and the fences at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo have twice been breached by stray dogs that attacked some of the zoo’s animals.
On Thursday morning, police were notified around 8 a.m. of an animal complaint at the zoo. An investigation revealed that three dogs, believed to be pit bulls, entered the zoo and killed three African scimitar oxen, one guanaco (a llama) and one addax antelope, exotic animals on loan from other zoos.
Police said two of the dogs were destroyed by zoo personnel and one escaped.
On Jan. 6, another pack of stray dogs attacked two boer goats at the zoo. The goats suffered injuries so severe they had to be euthanized. The dogs reportedly dug under a fence on Bernstein Park Drive to enter the field where the goats were grazing. No other animals were injured and the dogs were not found.
Despite the bad press, zoo director Joe Clawson maintains the zoo is a good place for area residents to visit.
“This is a good zoo,” Clawson said. “No zoo is perfect. But we have a good zoo here in Monroe.”
Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo
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