Among other things, they have broken the law on serious animal cruelty that came into force last summer, she says in a documentary film on TV4.
– What has happened in Furuviksparken is as close as you can get to the description of the crime for this new crime: exposing animals to undue suffering, says Annika Norée to TV4.
In addition, they lacked a dispensation to shoot the animals dead, says Norée.
– You must not kill chimpanzees with hunting weapons, they must be killed with anesthetic by a veterinarian.
Shooters can be brought to justice
According to Annika Norée, the shooters may be personally brought to justice, which Furuvikparken’s CEO Sandra Wilke is also aware of.
– The shooter always has a responsibility to get a well-placed shot and that you can do it, says Wilke.
However, she would not comment on whether anyone may have broken the law, citing that a police investigation is still ongoing.
Escaped through open door
It was on December 14 that the police were alerted that five chimpanzees had escaped from their enclosures in the monkey house at Furuviksparken just outside Gävle. Four of them were shot dead and one was injured. An open door allowed the monkeys to escape, according to the zoo’s own account of the incident.