Unusual case: zookeeper started stealing food from animals (2 photos)

Police said they were still trying to understand the man's motives. Social media users speculated that he may have been reselling vegetables and fruits.





An unusual incident occurred at the Tennoji Zoo in Osaka. In September, zoo staff noticed that the chimpanzee food supply was running low, even though the animals were being fed as usual. An internal investigation revealed that a 47-year-old caretaker had been stealing the primates' fruits and vegetables. The zoo then contacted the police, and the man was arrested on charges of theft. He is currently in custody.

The reasons that prompted the zoo worker to steal food remain unknown.



Social media users have suggested that the reason could be low salaries and high inflation in the country. However, some believe that if this were the only reason, the employee would have simply been fired without involving the police.

"I wonder if he stole the food for resale. Using it on his own probably would not have led to such an obvious reduction in the amount of food," wrote one social media user.