Ukraine Suspected of Being Poisoned

A chimpanzee, bears and pumas have died in recent weeks at a Ukrainian zoo, and veterinarians suspect they were poisoned, the park's owner said Monday.

The first death took place in March when a chimpanzee that had lived at the private zoo in the southern city of Yalta became sick and later died, owner Oleg Zubkov said.

Since then a lynx couple, a pair of pumas, a wolf and two Himalayan bears have died at the Skazka zoo.

The head of veterinarian services in the region of Crimea, Maria Mirochnik, suspects that the animals were poisoned."

Source

"We have strong reasons to believe it was poisoning," she said at a news conference with a tearful Zubkov. She said it appeared to be a "very strong" poison.