The four chimpanzees Linda, Torsten, Santino, and Manda were put down at the zoo in December 2022 after they escaped. Selma, on the other hand, survived, but became blind in one eye, got a fracture in one arm, and also had shotgun pellets left in her body.
She was subjected to suffering that "may be animal cruelty" writes the Prosecution Authority in a press release.
However, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Micael Dahlberg does not believe that the shooting is punishable.
It must be grossly negligent to be punishable. It's very difficult to prove, then you would have to have disregarded how you shoot. I mean that the evidence available does not show that. When the shooting takes place at a distance, there is no guarantee that the animal dies immediately, he says to TT.
The Board of Agriculture granted a retrospective permit to Furuviksparken to shoot the escaped chimpanzees in self-defense.
Actually, you should be very close to the animal being put down, the exemption concerned the distance. I mean that the exemption shows that there really was a self-defense situation, says Micael Dahlberg.
He will not bring charges for reckless endangerment of others.
"It's a relief to be able to put this behind us", writes Cecilia Björling, information officer at Furuviksparken, in an email.
Furuviksparken announces that after the incident, they have, among other things, installed bars on all windows in the Chimpanzee House, replaced all door handles with locks or exterior bolts, and tightened their locking routines.
