Well, if they were stolen, then they couldn't have died from BF, now could they?
Stolen animals have 'slim chance'
By James Clarke
BBC News, England
Toga the stolen baby Jackass Penguin
Toga the penguin was stolen from a zoo on the Isle of Wight last year
Animals stolen from zoos have little chance of survival because they tend to fall into the hands of people who do not know how to look after them properly, according to experts.
An entire colony of threatened marmoset monkeys, including two four-week-old babies, were stolen from a zoo in Devon early on Sunday.
Several exotic birds were also taken in the theft from Exmoor Zoo, while two ****atoos were stolen in a break-in at Birmingham Nature Centre on Friday night.
The curator of Exmoor Zoo said he thought the animals stolen there had been taken to order.
Animal welfare experts fear the thieves take the creatures without realising how difficult they will be to look after.
'On the quiet'
John Hayward, of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), co-ordinates the national theft register on behalf of the zoos of Great Britain.
He said: "The chances of survival are very slim because whoever has taken the animals no doubt will not be able to look after the animals and feed them their normal dietary requirements."
Exmoor Zoo curator Danny Reynolds said he thought the thieves who struck there had deliberately chosen species according to their legal status.
He said: "They have targeted species which do not require a licence to be owned by a normal member of the public so I do believe they have been stealing to order.
These animals are bred in captivity but they are still fairly wild
John Hayward, animal theft register co-ordinator
Baby monkeys stolen in zoo raid
Centre appeals for birds' return
"We have been building up the colony of black-eared marmosets since 1993, so this is more than a decade's work protecting this species down the drain.
"It is so much of our work just gone because someone can't earn a living in a normal way."
Mr Hayward said he wanted anyone who knew the whereabouts of the stolen animals or birds to contact the authorities.
He said: "Two years ago we suffered from a series of similar thefts from a number of zoos and private collections and we sincerely hope that this isn't going to be the start of another series.
"Fortunately it doesn't happen that often, sometimes a few occasions per year, but when it does, obviously it's not only devastating to the zoo owners and keepers but also to the animals themselves.
"Many of these exotics are on the endangered species list, they are intelligent and highly sensitive creatures.
A black-eared marmoset and a white-fronted marmoset
A total of 11 marmosets were stolen from the Devon zoo on Sunday
"They have obviously got a monetary value, but that is not our main concern, we are concerned for the welfare of the poor creatures that have been kidnapped in the dead of night."
Mr Hayward said that unlike the creatures taken from Exmoor Zoo, the breed of bird stolen in Birmingham could only be bought or sold by someone with a licence, because the species was placed on the most endangered list last year.
Anyone caught trying to buy or sell the birds without a licence from the government could face more than five years in prison.
Mr Hayward also said the birds were particularly noisy and it would be difficult for the thieves to keep their presence hidden.
"These animals are bred in captivity but they are still fairly wild," he said
Helen Briggs of the RSPCA also expressed concern at the animals' chances of survival.
She said: "Our concern if this sort of exotic species are taken from zoos would be who will look after them?
"Have they got the right facilities, particularly if they have to do it on the quiet?"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/4825374.stm
Stolen animals have 'slim chance'
By James Clarke
BBC News, England
Toga the stolen baby Jackass Penguin
Toga the penguin was stolen from a zoo on the Isle of Wight last year
Animals stolen from zoos have little chance of survival because they tend to fall into the hands of people who do not know how to look after them properly, according to experts.
An entire colony of threatened marmoset monkeys, including two four-week-old babies, were stolen from a zoo in Devon early on Sunday.
Several exotic birds were also taken in the theft from Exmoor Zoo, while two ****atoos were stolen in a break-in at Birmingham Nature Centre on Friday night.
The curator of Exmoor Zoo said he thought the animals stolen there had been taken to order.
Animal welfare experts fear the thieves take the creatures without realising how difficult they will be to look after.
'On the quiet'
John Hayward, of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), co-ordinates the national theft register on behalf of the zoos of Great Britain.
He said: "The chances of survival are very slim because whoever has taken the animals no doubt will not be able to look after the animals and feed them their normal dietary requirements."
Exmoor Zoo curator Danny Reynolds said he thought the thieves who struck there had deliberately chosen species according to their legal status.
He said: "They have targeted species which do not require a licence to be owned by a normal member of the public so I do believe they have been stealing to order.
These animals are bred in captivity but they are still fairly wild
John Hayward, animal theft register co-ordinator
Baby monkeys stolen in zoo raid
Centre appeals for birds' return
"We have been building up the colony of black-eared marmosets since 1993, so this is more than a decade's work protecting this species down the drain.
"It is so much of our work just gone because someone can't earn a living in a normal way."
Mr Hayward said he wanted anyone who knew the whereabouts of the stolen animals or birds to contact the authorities.
He said: "Two years ago we suffered from a series of similar thefts from a number of zoos and private collections and we sincerely hope that this isn't going to be the start of another series.
"Fortunately it doesn't happen that often, sometimes a few occasions per year, but when it does, obviously it's not only devastating to the zoo owners and keepers but also to the animals themselves.
"Many of these exotics are on the endangered species list, they are intelligent and highly sensitive creatures.
A black-eared marmoset and a white-fronted marmoset
A total of 11 marmosets were stolen from the Devon zoo on Sunday
"They have obviously got a monetary value, but that is not our main concern, we are concerned for the welfare of the poor creatures that have been kidnapped in the dead of night."
Mr Hayward said that unlike the creatures taken from Exmoor Zoo, the breed of bird stolen in Birmingham could only be bought or sold by someone with a licence, because the species was placed on the most endangered list last year.
Anyone caught trying to buy or sell the birds without a licence from the government could face more than five years in prison.
Mr Hayward also said the birds were particularly noisy and it would be difficult for the thieves to keep their presence hidden.
"These animals are bred in captivity but they are still fairly wild," he said
Helen Briggs of the RSPCA also expressed concern at the animals' chances of survival.
She said: "Our concern if this sort of exotic species are taken from zoos would be who will look after them?
"Have they got the right facilities, particularly if they have to do it on the quiet?"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/4825374.stm