INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
At least three baby kangaroos have gone missing from two Russian zoos within a week, sparking suspicion that the animals may have been
stolen in a coordinated campaign, according to media reports.Police in the Yaroslavl region, northeast of Moscow, launched a criminal
investigation after a kangaroo born in the winter disappeared from its enclosure at the Yaroslavl Zoo sometime between last Thursday and
Friday.Local news website 76.ru, citing anonymous sources, reported that suspected kidnappers allegedly cut a security camera cable before
stealing the animal early in the morning.Over the weekend, two more six-month-old kangaroos were reported missing from a bird park in the
disappearance.Edgard Zapashny, a renowned animal handler and director of the Moscow Bolshoi Circus, told RTVI that both incidents could be
and stuffed.Kaluga-based journalist Yevgeny Serkin noted that demand for exotic animals has risen among zoos and private collectors
following Western sanctions against Russia.
