A visitor to the Moscow Zoo tried to poison several lynx and leopards, General Director Svetlana Akulova announced in a statement on May 27, after a routine inspection revealed “scattered pills of unknown origin” in the animals' enclosures. Surveillance cameras captured footage of an unidentified man throwing the pills over the enclosure barriers. “This was not an accident or a prank; this was a deliberate, cold-blooded attempt on the lives of animals under our protection," Akulova wrote.

Zoo officials have launched an internal investigation and ordered urgent analysis of the discovered pills. They have also shared all available evidence with law enforcement for potential criminal charges. The zoo is also conducting a complete inspection of all animal enclosures.