MANAUS, BRAZIL — A jaguar that was forced to be a prop at an Olympic torch-lighting ceremony was shot and killed by a soldier shortly after the event in Manaus as the wild animal escaped from its handlers.
During the event, the female jaguar, named Juma, was held by a chain around her neck only a few yards away from the lighting of the torch.
Juma was being held at the CIGS zoo, which is part of the army’s jungle combat training center. Several of the animals at the zoo have been captured by soldiers on patrol.
According to the Daily Mail, a guest who was at the event said, “The jaguar was in a secluded spot, but everyone took pictures with her.”
When the event was over, Juma’s handler was about to take her back to a cage that was on a truck.
That’s when Juma got loose and tried to escape.
Brazil’s Amazon Military Command said in a statement, “Efforts were made to capture the animal by firing tranquilizers. But even though the animal was hit, it still advanced towards a soldier that was stationed nearby.
“As a safety procedure and aiming to protect the soldier and the handlers, a pistol was used to shoot the animal. She died at the scene.”
“We made a mistake in permitting the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and unity, to be exhibited alongside a chained wild animal. This image goes against our beliefs and our values,” the Rio 2016 organizing committee said in a statement, adding “We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016.”
