Nigeria dwarf goats. Photo: Alamy

PULSE NEWS MEXICO

The head of Mexico’s Chilpancingo Zoo, located in the coastal state of Guerrero, slaughtered and barbecued four dwarf goats from its collection to serve as the staff’s Christmas dinner.

A report released earlier this week by the Guerrero Environment Secretariat (Semaren) confirmed that the former director of the zoo, José Rubén Nava, ordered the goats to be served as the main dish at the party held inside the zoo enclosure.

Nava also allegedly traded four Watusi cattle and a zebra for 65,000 pesos in order to purchase radio equipment and a milk-warming machine, which turned out to be a microwave that he invoiced for 48,000 pesos.

According to the head of Semaren’s wildlife department, Fernando Ruiz Gutiérrez, not only did he slaughter of the Nigerian dwarf goats represent a violation of the zoo’s sacred trust to protect the animals in its care, but the barbequed mutton could have caused health problems for the zoo workers since the four goats were undergoing medical treatment at the time they were butchered.

Semaran Secretary Ángel Almazán Juárez personally confirmed that Nava — who was dismissed from his position at the zoo in recent days — gave a person from the State of Mexico the four Watusi cattle and the zebra, allegedly for “materials, tools and supplies”  but, in fact, received 65,000 pesos for the animals

He added that the current whereabouts of the Watusis and zebra are unknown.