The pet detective shares a shocking theory about the thefts and deaths at the Dallas Zoo and reveals the next step to solving the mystery

A PET detective has weighed a string of thefts, deaths and break-ins at the Dallas Zoo, insisting the mysterious chain of events appears to be the result of an “inside job”.

Jamie Katz, a Florida-based private investigator who specializes in lost pets, told The US Sun she was stunned by the tumultuous events at the Dallas Zoo in recent weeks.

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The latest incident came on Monday, when police say an unknown perpetrator cut an opening in an enclosure and stole two emperor monkeys.

The baby primates were later found in a closet in an abandoned house in Lancaster after investigators received a lead.

Who kidnapped the monkeys and why remains unclear. No arrests were made and the matter remains under investigation.

But the bizarre theft was just the latest oddity to occur at the 106-acre zoo in recent weeks.

On January 13, a four-year-old leopard was found missing from its habitat.

It was later found nearby and unharmed, although an investigation found its habitat appeared to have been intentionally cut – rather than ripped open by the animal.

A similar cut mark was found the following day in an enclosure containing langur monkeys – although all of the animals were recorded.

Then, about a week later, a 35-year-old endangered vulture was found dead in what the zoo described as “unusual” circumstances.

An autopsy found the bird suffered an “intentional” wound that was ultimately fatal. No further information was released as this matter is also under investigation.

Katz, 41, while admitting there are coincidences in her work, says the light rarely hits the same spot twice — or even four times.

Sensing something fishy was going on, Katz told The US Sun: “This stinks of an inside job.

“In my cases, coincidences happen all the time […] but this is a different situation and there is a clear pattern here.

“It seems to be the same situation every time. Maybe they tried to get the leopard out of the zoo but couldn’t.

“What if they tried to get the vulture out but couldn’t and accidentally injured it?

“With the monkeys, we know they were stolen. A $10,000 reward has been offered for their return, but they are likely worth a lot more.

“Are you trying to sell them? And how does the house they were found in relate to the perpetrator? Is it a trap house? These are things that the police will certainly investigate.

“But the responsible person must be on site to be aware of this abandoned house.”

The real Ace Ventura says her investigative hunch tells her someone working at the zoo might be responsible, or at least involved.

Urging officers to look around very close to their home, Katz said: “You have to look at every single person that works there, question them and strike them out one by one.

“You have to look at how long each person worked there, if they had any behavioral issues and how they were hired and so on.”

“FIRE THEM ALL”

As an animal lover, Katz said the sequence of events was incredibly disturbing to learn about.

She is baffled at how the perpetrator appears to have managed to sabotage the enclosures undetected, and says drastic action must be taken if any further damage is done.

“If anything else happens, I think everyone who works there needs to be fired and they should just start over,” Katz said.

“That would be the right time to start doing things right and if not you’d have to ask why not?

“They clearly aren’t keeping these animals safe, so maybe there doesn’t need to be a zoo at all.

“Isn’t the whole point of a zoo to keep animals that can’t be in the wild safe?”

“If you don’t do your job, nobody has to work there.

“There has to be a zero-tolerance policy for these kinds of mistakes.”

STRANGE EVENTS PUZZLE OFFICIALS

The Dallas Zoo has been contacted for comment on Katz’s comments, but has not yet responded. This story will be updated when this is the case.

Officials have not yet commented on whether they believe the incidents are related.

That stinks of an inside job. In my cases, coincidences happen all the time […] but this is a different situation and there is a clear pattern here.

Jamie Katzanimal detective

Following the safe return of its two missing emperor monkeys on Tuesday, the zoo said it was “incredibly thrilled”.

The zoo had been closed on the day the theft took place due to inclement weather caused by an ice storm in the area.

How the animals left the zoo and got to the abandoned house in Lancaster is still a mystery.

Police released surveillance footage of an identified man they want to speak to on Tuesday, but said he is not currently considered a suspect.

The video showed the man – wearing a navy hoodie and eating a pack of Doritos – walking slowly down a nearly empty zoo sidewalk, looking back and forth as he moved.

Another person can be seen in the background walking in the opposite direction.

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Prior to Monday’s incident, the zoo had already stepped up security measures after the vulture’s death and the leopard’s flight, including installing more cameras and increasing security personnel overnight.

The animals’ ability to go outside overnight has also been restricted, Dallas Zoo CEO Gregg Hudson said in a statement.

Ed Hansen, executive director of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, said he couldn’t remember a zoo that has faced similar incidents so frequently.

“It seems someone really has a problem with the Dallas Zoo,” Hansen said.

Hansen, who described the Dallas Zoo’s industry reputation as “excellent,” said accredited zoos have double fencing and a zoo as large as Dallas would have a security patrol.

ZOO ON THE EDGE

The spate of incidents threatens to tarnish the Dallas Zoo’s lustrous reputation, which was slowly rebuilding after a series of controversies in the 2000s.

Most notably, the zoo garnered worldwide attention in 2004 when a 350-pound gorilla escaped and mauled three visitors, including an infant.

A few years later, controversy erupted again over the planned relocation of a beloved elephant named Jenny and criticism of the size of her enclosure.

The city of Dallas handed management of the zoo over to a nonprofit organization in 2009, and the facility slowly regained its reputation and broke attendance records.

Hudson told Dallas News he was concerned the monkeys had gone missing, despite additional surveillance and security measures.

According to nonprofit records viewed by the outlet, Dallas Zoo Management Inc. spends more than $650,000 on private security.

Hudson said capital investments in fences, cameras and other equipment are not included.

After the spate of attacks, Hudson says that number has yet to rise.

“Honestly, we now want to spend a lot more than that,” he said.

“It’s not a resource issue for me and I know my board thinks the same way.

“We must do everything we can to ensure that the animals, staff and guests are safe and that they feel safe.”

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