A 12-year-old boy was arrested Saturday after attempting to kidnap two lion cubs from the Giza Zoo.
Friday morning, the boy walked out of the zoo with a cub and sold it for LE35 to a young man in the city of Abu al-Nemres. The boy returned to the zoo Saturday in an attempt to steal another cub, only to be caught by zoo employees who took him to the police. The suspect was referred to Juvenile Prosecution.
The police also arrested the buyer and returned the stolen cub to the zoo.
Investigations revealed that the boy took advantage of the crowds in the zoo and kidnapped one of the cubs as they were transferred from their cage to a sunny area near the fence. He placed a cub in a plastic bag and jumped over the fence without being seen.
Upon questioning, the buyer said he paid the defendant but planned on handing the cub over to the Abu al-Nemres police station after learning it was stolen.
The prosecution summoned park officials for questioning after they failed to report the first incidence of kidnapping.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
