Brazilian police have seized a cruel pet owner on suspicion of killing threatened jaguars to feed to his dogs.
The 44-year-old suspect was arrested in Paranaita, Mato Grosso state, on 22nd August as the authorities investigated reports of poaching.
Cops and environment officers were shocked when they turned up at the man’s rural property and found a decapitated jaguar head near the riverbank.
Police said the animal showed “signs of having been recently killed”.
During a search of the property, officers also came across a cauldron in which they found meat and bones, which have since been sent for forensic analysis.
Police accuse the man of shooting jaguars dead, chopping them up, and cooking their meat in the large pot to feed to his pet dogs.
Officers seized firearms and ammunition from his property, as well as animal meat and fat found in a freezer.
Police believe the suspect – whose name is withheld – has killed at least two felines in the last month alone.
According to police chief Paula Barbosa, he is accused of crimes against the environment and illegal possession of firearms.
At the time of reporting, he was being held at a police station pending a custody hearing.
The jaguar is considered a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Mato Grosso Civil Police said in a statement: “They occupy the top of the food chain and play a crucial role in ecosystem balance, as they regulate the population size of other animal species.”
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Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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