Monkey Escapes Habitat, Falls into Lake, and is Eaten by Otters

A rare monkey was killed after it fell into a zoo lake and was then eaten by otters, which is just the latest in a series of tragedies that have befallen the Bristol Zoo.

The Bristol Post reports that a rare golden-headed lion tamarin escaped its enclosure and fell into a drainage valve where it became trapped. Although trapped, the tamarin was still alive until a group of American otters found it and proceeded to eat it.

The tamarin was housed on an island. It is not clear how the tamarin managed to get off the island and into the water.

The loss of the tamarin is the zoo's second serious lapse resulting in the death of a rare species. The zoo had recently acquired a rare species of pig known as warty pigs. Somehow, the mature female became pregnant without the zookeepers noticing. When the female pig gave birth, the male pig killed all the piglets and then attacked the mother so badly that she had to be euthanized.

While it is possible that the zoo did not realize the female was pregnant, this species of pig is well known to be aggressive toward its own kin. The pig is one of the most endangered animals on the planet, and may soon be extinct.

Another incident where animals escaped their enclosures involved three lorikeets that escaped through a small hole. A search effort eventually resulted in two of the birds being recovered and returned to the zoo, but the whereabouts of the third lorikeet are unknown.

Perhaps most disturbingly, the loss of these rare and priceless animals would not have been known if not for a whistleblower at the zoo who contacted the Post to draw attention to the issue of animal welfare at the Bristol Zoo.