March 7, 2008

PHILADELPHIA – After shooting two zoo animals with Airsoft brand pellet guns, two New Jersey teens were arrested Sunday afternoon at the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton.

According to zoo officials, witnesses watched a 17-year-old from Vineland, N.J., and a 14-year-old from Bridgeton, N.J., shoot at a rare white Bengal tiger and an Asiatic black bear.

The teenagers, charged with shooting exotic animals, were held overnight at a juvenile detention center and were released to their parents on Monday.

Cumberland County’s First Assistant Prosecutor Kenneth Pagliughi said the minors were charged with multiple weapon counts, while the SPCA charged each boy with counts of tormenting an animal.

The 11-year old tiger, Ganesha, and 12-year-old bear, Holly, were targeted after the boys allegedly scaled a fence to shoot the animals with Airsoft hard-pellet guns, said Bev Greco, director of the Cumberland County SPCA. Neither animal was seriously injured.

Responding police apprehended the two boys on a road leading out of the zoo.

Greco reported that as officers approached, one boy dropped his gun, both of which looked realistic.

“This could have ended in a very, very bad,” said Greco, who went on to reference an incident that occurred at the San Francisco Zoo.

“Two teens were mauled and another killed after tormenting a tiger. In addition these Airsoft guns could have been mistaken for the real thing by the police.”

Two hard plastic pellets were found in the tiger exhibit and three in the bear’s compound by Kelly Shaw, the zoo’s animal curator.

“Thankfully, the animals had no evidence of trauma,” Shaw said.

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This report was contributed to by Sam Wood, The Philadelphia Inquirer.