MOSCOW, February 28 (RIA Novosti) – A pack of stray dogs killed three female red-necked wallabies and several of their babies Friday morning in a zoo in Russia’s western Kaliningrad Region.
“A pack of stray dogs dug a tunnel during the night under the fence and entered the kangaroo enclosure,” chief veteran Svetlana Yarova said. “The dogs tore them to death not because they were hungry, but because of their hunting instinct.”
A male gray kangaroo and male wallaby were also killed during the attack.
Zoo officials said that guards arrived at the scene after hearing barking, but by then it was too late. The dogs also attacked and killed ornamental chickens, bred for their appearance.
“This is not the first time that stray dogs have terrorized our animals. In past years they have killed a deer and a llama,” Yarova said, adding that the zoo’s fence was in a state of disrepair due to a lack of funding.
Wild dogs are a common problem in Russian cities and occasionally attack people.
Earlier this month, animal rights activists raced to save stray dogs in Sochi as officials began an extermination campaign in the lead-up to the Olympic Games.
