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TORTURE

Suspected serial cat killer arrested

A man was detained Sunday on suspicion of animal torture after a series of brutal cat murders in the Högsbo area of Gothenburg.

Published: 1 April 2013 08:57 CEST
Suspected serial cat killer arrested

A black-and-white cat was found hanging from a tree in a residential area on March 10th, reported tabloid Expressen GT.

Two days later locals found a yellow-and-white male cat with a ripped open stomach. His name was Birk. Someone had drawn a smiley face on a yellow Post-it note and stuck it to his body.

Locals posted warning notes in the area urging neighbours to keep their cats indoors. Several told Sweden’s TV4 news that they were scared to let their children out on their own, knowing that a “psychopath” was in the area.

A third murdered cat, also with a ripped open stomach, was found by the entrance of an apartment building on March 21st.

Locals complained that the police were not taking their concerns seriously.

“This has received so much publicity now that they have to do something but previously they did not care about our reports,” Birk’s owner Karl Rosenqvist told GT.

Ulf Åsgård, a psychiatrist and an expert on criminal profiles, said the unknown cat torturer could be dangerous to people as well as animals.

Concerned Högsbo residents organized searches to find the culprit.

The arrested man, who is in his thirties, is suspected on reasonable grounds.

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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