‘Idiots’ who broke into UK zoo to harass giraffe and kick at tigers fined

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    Two men who broke into Hampshire's Marwell Zoo and terrorised animals by throwing bottles at giraffes and kicking at tigers have been jailed.

    Appearing at Winchester Crown Court, the defendants – Bradley Green and Nathan Daniels – were sentenced by judge Richard Parkes KC to a 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £750 compensation each to the zoo.

    In February 2021, the pair cut the barbed wire fence at Marwell Zoo near Winchester before going on a night-time rampage and attacking various animals.

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    Fearing for the life of its endangered animals, a full team of police were mobilised to catch the gang, including armed response officers with night vision goggles, a dog unit, and a helicopter.

    The judge told them: "Almost two years ago, you two together had the idiotic idea of driving to Marwell Zoo during lockdown, when Marwell Zoo was closed to the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    "You, Green, broke a door at the rear of the giraffe house. You threw the bucket and bottle of disinfectant into the enclosure and you threw something at the giraffe which we see from the video that you took.

    "It struck the giraffe on the neck. One of the giraffes had an injury to its leg, with two long gashes, which was discovered the next morning.

    "It happened from the giraffe being distressed, knocking itself against the door."

    Video evidence of the break-in was uploaded to social media, appearing to show a bottle being thrown at a giraffe's head.

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    Police were called after a member of the public saw the sick footage online.

    The abuse of a tiger was also filmed, allegedly coaxed to approach a fence before being kicked at and scared off.

    The judge told the pair today that "many members of the public would like to see you in prison for this behaviour", but opted for a more lenient sentence.

    It also transpired that Daniels had been working for a contractor for Marwell Zoo.

    Prosecuting, David Fosler, said at an earlier hearing that zoo keepers said the animals were "very distressed, particularly the giraffes, cheetahs and tigers".

    The intruders had cut through a 'double chain link fence' before entering and 'the zoo's general maintenance manager found that an internal fence had been cut in a vertical line', according to the prosecution.

    A court was previously told that the zoo estimated the damage to have cost between £1,500 and £2,000, without the cost of paying their employees for the work.

    The morning after the incident, a plastic disinfectant bottle, sticks and stones were found in the tiger enclosure, while a bucket and another bottle of disinfectant were found in the giraffe enclosure, prosecution said.

    Green pleaded guilty to damaging an enclosure containing giraffes, and Daniels admitted to damaging the penguins' enclosure. Green had also admitted causing animal cruelty.

    Meanwhile, charges of burglary and criminal damage were also raised against Jason Huggitt, 24, and Coral Lock, 23 – friends accused of assisting the duo. These charges were dropped.

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