Police detain man who threw pills into lynx and leopard enclosures at Moscow Zoo

Moscow police have detained a local man on suspicion of throwing pills into the lynx and leopard enclosures at the Moscow Zoo, Interior Ministry spokesperson Irina Volk announced on Wednesday.

Moscow Zoo director Svetlana Akulova shared surveillance footage showing the man throwing something into the enclosure on Tuesday, describing his actions as “a deliberate and cold-blooded attempt on the lives of animals”. The zoo later recovered 37 pills from the scene.

According to the preliminary investigation, the pills contained valerian extract, Volk said, before adding that the pills had been sent for further examination. Valerian extract is not considered dangerous for felines, and is often used as a stimulant for cats as an alternative to catnip.

The 43-year-old man, identified as Emil Atsaev by state-affiliated daily Kommersant, reportedly has two prior criminal convictions and is registered with a psychiatric clinic, though the newspaper did not specify what his previous crimes were.

According to Kommersant, Atsaev told the police that he wanted to “treat” the animals and “bring them back to life”, which is why he “shared” his pills with them.

The investigation is now establishing Atsaev’s motive, and will then decide whether to charge him, Volk said.

Moscow Zoo said on Wednesday that its staff had removed all the pills from the enclosures, adding that the affected animals — a family of lynxes and an Amur leopard called Mizer — were “doing fine”.