They look cute, are trusting and have a lot of fans at the zoo - but all this apparently did not protect four pygmy goats from a cruel fate. The animals lived in a zoo in Mexico and were slaughtered there, reports the AP news agency. The zoo director is said to have been responsible for this.

Accordingly, the goats should serve as a meal at a banquet at the zoo. "These four animals were slaughtered and cooked on the zoo grounds and served as food at the end-of-year celebrations," explained Fernando Ruiz Gutierrez, director of wildlife at the Ministry of the Environment. The director not only ended the lives of the goats, but also endangered the health of the guests, according to Ruiz Gutierrez. The animals were not suitable for "human consumption".

The incident only came to light after the director lost his job over another matter. After the death of a deer at his zoo, it was revealed that the animal had been neglected, had been treated medically without anesthetic and had its antlers cut off. But according to the authorities, this case was only the tip of an iceberg of misconduct that the zoo boss was guilty of.

During the course of the investigation, it turned out that the man had also traded a zebra for tools. These were said to be needed for construction work, but the tools were not found during a search of the zoo. In addition, the fired director is said to have sold a deer and a Watussi cattle from the zoo to private individuals without properly accounting for the proceeds. The whereabouts of other animals have yet to be clarified.

Quellen: AP / "El País"