Dallas Zoo guard claims it has been plagued by security issues for years trends now
A former security guard for the Dallas Zoo claimed it has been plagued by animal trafficking problems for years and that its security contractor advised guards not to confront trespassers.
The unnamed man worked at the Zoo for seven months in 2022, but told NewsNation he quit after being brushed off by managers when he raised concerns for the safety of the animals, guests, and staff.
He said the zoo saw numerous repeat trespassers while he worked there, and that he suspects one of them is likely responsible for the spate of animal thefts and possible attempts the Zoo has dealt with in the last month.
Four incidents rocked the Zoo in January, which included the apparently intentional release of a leopard, an attempted break-in to a monkey enclosure, the 'suspicious' death of a buzzard, and the theft of two tamarin monkeys which were later discovered in the closet of an abandoned house near the zoo.
Police released the photo of a man walking through the zoo eating a bag of Doritos who they are trying to identify and speak to about the incident. Dallas PD told DailyMail.com the man has not been named as a suspect or a person of interest.
Police are investigating after two emperor tamarin monkeys were 'deliberately' taken from their enclosure
The former security guard told NewsNation he was not surprised when he heard about the security breaches at the Dallas Zoo.
'This upsets me quite a bit. Because as security you're hired to protect that property and whatever creatures are there - human or animals,' he said.
'And the Dallas Zoo is a huge black-market gold mine. Always has been.'
The man did not provide specific instances to corroborate his claims about animal trafficking at the zoo.
Dallas PD told DailyMail.com it had no record of animals being stolen from the zoo in recent years. The zoo did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.
Nonetheless, the former employee said the security company was to blame for leaving the zoo vulnerable to theft, and pointed out ten locations he characterized as vulnerable entry points to the zoo.
'Something needs to be done, and I'm not going to sit there and let this big security company get away with this stuff while animals and people ultimately will get hurt.'
The unnamed man worked at the Zoo for seven months during 2022, but said he quit after being brushed off by managers when he raised concerns for
