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Problem that led to jaguar escape comes into greater focus

Barrier at top of enclosure possibly opened enough to let the big cat out

NEW ORLEANS -- A memorial to nine animals killed after a jaguar escaped its habitat this weekend greeted visitors Monday at the Audubon Zoo as details about what led to the escape began to come into focus.

Zoo officials told WWL-TV a break in the stainless steel cable barrier on the roof of the jaguar exhibit potentially allowed enough space for the big cat to climb out of his enclosure early Saturday morning and attack the other animals.

The carnage included five alpacas, three foxes and one emu.

The exhibit will remain closed while the investigation into what happened continues.

Zoo-goers called the incident very upsetting.

"It's heartbreaking, but in the reality of the world they come from, this is just normal," zoo visitor Sandy Rentschler said. "It's normal behavior."

"I was kind of interested in how he got out because it's a pretty contained place," zoo visitor Greg Draughton said. "I don't know how he did it."

Zoo officials said they have inspected other large carnivore exhibits and found nothing of concern.

Once they complete a thorough investigation, the zoo plans to make improvements to the jaguar exhibit.

For now the 3-year-old male jaguar that escaped and a second older jaguar are being housed behind the scenes in a secure night house.

Monday, zoo officials declined several requests for an interview out of respect for the animals and staff.

Saturday, Audubon Nature Institute CEO Ron Forman tried to reassure guests they have nothing to worry about at the zoo.

"The zoo is a safe place to be," Forman said. "There's no fear at all as far as a visitor. In over a 100 year history we've never had an incident that created a problem for the public."

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the group that grants zoos their accreditation, is monitoring the investigation. It has requested a detailed post-event report within 30 days.

"We want them to make sure they're taking the time to figure out what happened and addressing any needs with that exhibit," AZA spokesman Ron Vernon said. "It sounds like they're doing exactly that."

Vernon said the last time an AZA inspection team was at the zoo was the fall of 2017.

That visit would have included taking a look at the jaguar exhibit. No problems were found with the exhibit at that time, Vernon said.

There were no humans injured in the weekend jaguar attack.

The zoo does not yet have a timeline for when the exhibit will be repaired or reopened.

Paul Murphy can be reached at pmurphy@wwltv.com.

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