Environmental protection officers who turned up to check the status of endangered species being kept at a zoo in Argentina were shocked when all they could find were furs some of the missing animals.
Agents from the Ministry of the Nation’s Environment and Sustainable Development who are responsible for enforcing the care and management of protected species were investigating reports that some of the animals had vanished at a zoo, which has not been named, located in the city of Concordia in the Argentine province of Entre Rios.
It is unclear when the visits that located the first were made, but the Argentine government reported on it in a statement on Wednesday (7 October).
Members from the Environmental Control Brigade conducted the physical inspections at the zoo where they found “irregularities” in
the documentation which indicated that although the zoo was registered at having certain animals, they could not find all of them.
But, shockingly, a short while later they found their furs.
The video shows the moment the environmental agents perform their inspection looking at the animals that were still there, as well as the facilities, and also study the documents.
The first half shows an inspection carried out at a separate zoo in the city of Parana in the same province which was found to have been illegally buying animals.
The second half of the video shows the moment agents find the furs from five tigers and one jaguar during the operation. They also found that there were seven Bengali tigers, two bears and two jaguars missing.
Local media report the zoo will receive a sanction and will be formally reported for a criminal investigation. It has also been asked to give an updated inventory of its animals.
It is unclear if officials plan on making any arrests.
The inspectors in the zoo 
The animals found in the zoo 
The animals found in the zoo 
The inspectors in the zoo of Concordia found fur
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Story By: Juan Fernandez, Sub-Editor: James King, Agency: Newsflash
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