Someone poisoned and killed a snow leopard and a puma at a zoo in southern Ukraine

Someone poisoned and killed a snow leopard and puma at the Mykolaiv zoo in southern Ukraine this past weekend, according to the facility's director, Vladimir Topchiy.

“Today at 3:00 a.m., Gaspar died. Our snow leopard. Before my very eyes. I have no words. The police are investigating,” Topchiy wrote on Facebook. Later, the zoo reported that another animal, a puma, had been found killed from ingesting poison, as well.

Topchiy says someone fed the animals intentionally poisoned meat. He suspects that the attack is intended to damage the zoo's reputation ahead of an imminent visit by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums.