Free Republic

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...

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Mark Valerio, 57, of Macedon, N.Y., pleaded guilty to violating a provision of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act before U.S. Magistrate Jonathan W. Feldman. The defendant faces up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The charge also carries a thirteen year prohibition from holding a leadership role in a labor organization. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who handled the case, stated that between 2003 and 2012, the defendant was President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Union, Local 249,...