Environmental agency seeks probe after Klaipeda Zoo tiger was shot
Tuesday 6th October 2026 on 08:15 in
Lithuania
Lithuania’s Environmental Protection Department has asked prosecutors to open a pre-trial investigation after test results confirmed that a female tiger at Klaipeda Zoo was killed by gunshots, LRT reported.
Department officials went to the zoo on September 17 after it reported the death of a protected animal. They found the tiger dead in its enclosure and sent the animal for examination to the National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute.
The institute’s post-mortem examination confirmed that the tiger died from gunshot injuries, the department said.
On October 5, after reviewing the test results and information gathered during its inspection, the department asked the Klaipeda District Prosecutor’s Office to assess whether a crime had been committed and begin an investigation. The request cites Criminal Code provisions on cruelty to animals and the illegal killing of protected wild animals.