Man Arrested After 11 Animals Reported Missing From Zoo, Several Recovered

Police in Florida on Tuesday arrested a 20-year-old suspect after officials recovered several animals that were reported missing in May from a local college teaching zoo.

Sedrick Tyrezi Price was arrested for the theft of 11 animals from the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo. Seven of the missing animals were returned on Monday after police received an anonymous tip that the creatures were inside a Gainesville apartment, Santa Fe College police said.

Tyrezi, a resident of the Crossings at Santa Fe apartment complex where police recovered the animals, faces one charge of grand larceny.

The 11 animals were initially reported missing after being taken from their enclosures on two separate occasions, once on May 23 and again on May 30, police said.

"Thankfully, the police received a tip that led to the recovery of the animals," Johnathan Miot, director of the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo told WUFT, an independent station in Gainesville.

"We are still hopeful that the two gopher tortoises and two box turtles who need medical attention are recovered."

A squirrel monkey, a prehensile-tailed skink, three Florida box turtles and two red-footed tortoises, were returned to the zoo. Two box turtles and two gopher tortoises have yet been found.

"When the incident happened, we were pretty devastated by it, we were shocked by it, we felt violated. It was a lot to deal with because we’ve never dealt with anything like this before at this zoo," Miot told the news outlet.

The animals that were stolen are considered protected species in Florida. Three of the creatures were recovering from injuries and undergoing rehabilitation and some of them even required medication, Miot said.

"When an animal which is injured and out of our care, that just means there is a greater possibility that that animal becomes reinjured or the injuries are exacerbated," Miot said. "So, absolutely there’s a lot of concern that these animals that are still out of our care are in danger."

Because of the incident, the zoo has added extra security in hopes that doesn’t happen again. A Florida Wildlife Commission officer has been assigned to assist with the case as the investigation continues.