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For non-experts trying to comprehend Saturday's (July 14) jaguar escape at Audubon Zoo, one big question lingers -- why did he kill so many animals? When Valerio the jaguar was discovered outside his enclosure and inside the zoo's fox exhibit at 7:20 a.m. Saturday (July 14), he had already killed six animals and seriously injured three more, who, within 48 hours, would also die. In total, one emu, three foxes and five alpacas were killed. If Valerio was hungry, why didn't he just kill one or two animals to feed on? Was he being territorial? That sort of logic may...

Valerio, the 3-year-old jaguar at Audubon Zoo who got out of his habitat and killed 9 animals on Saturday (July 15), is believed to have escaped through an 8-by-10-inch hole in the roof of his enclosure. Audubon Zoo officials on Monday gave an update on their investigation into Valerio's escape, providing a detailed timeline of what zoo staff did once they discovered the jaguar was outside the habitat. Five alpacas, three foxes and an emu were attacked by the jaguar and died. Officials believe Valerio bit through the enclosure roof's woven stainless steel fencing - a fact that a zoo...

Another fox has died after being mauled by a jaguar that escaped its enclosure Saturday morning (July 14) at Audubon Zoo, officials said Sunday. The fox's death brings the overall number of animals killed by the escaped jaguar to eight. Zoo officials announced Sunday morning that a fifth alpaca had also succumbed to its injuries. In total, five alpacas, two foxes and one emu were killed by Valerio the jaguar, who escaped his enclosure Saturday morning. One other fox was injured in the attack and continues to be monitored by the zoo's veterinarians.

The roof of the enclosure that Valerio the jaguar escaped from at Audubon Zoo had been "compromised," according to a Saturday afternoon (July 14) update from zoo leaders. An investigation is still underway to determine how exactly the 3-year-old jaguar got out, killing six animals and injuring three others. The zoo did not specify how the roof has been compromised or what type of damage had been sustained. Audubon Zoo spokeswoman Lauren Messina Conrad said zoo staff would "know more about the enclosure once we complete a thorough investigation." No animals will be housed in the habitat until the investigation...

A small but important group of workers at the Audubon Zoo has voted to join the Teamsters union. Audubon's zookeepers voted 17-14 to join Teamsters Local 270. Despite the close vote, the zoo's management has decided not to challenge the election results, and the union will now be certified as the workers' official bargaining agent. Zookeepers work directly with the animals in exhibits such as the Asian domain and primate center, but their ranks do not include animal curators, who are considered part of management. Audubon has a total staff of about 600, including 450 full-time workers. The Teamsters represent...