There was a brazen break-in at the main building of Discovery Wildlife Park that has left the owners especially upset.
While they were disturbed that an unspecified amount of cash was taken and a screen door destroyed, the owners believe the crime during the evening or early morning of Aug. 17 or 18 may have been committed by a previous employee.
“I am not a criminologist or anything like that but it sure looks like, and I would not say an inside job, but a previous employee,” said zoo co-owner Doug Bos, who as a town councillor, publicly told other members of council about the burglary at the Aug. 22 regular meeting. “It is just depressing. If I would have thought it would have been a random break-in it would not have been bad, but if it is a previous employee, what do you do? You trust previous employees. It is very upsetting.”
Bos said the incident was the fourth break-in, and the first one this year, since he opened the zoo in Innisfail 14 years ago.
“When they (culprits) came in they either cut the lock or knew the combination on the front gate, which very few people knew, so I'm guessing they cut it and they disposed of that,” said Bos. “When they left they made sure the gate was shut so nobody could tell the gate was open. Even when we drove up to it in the morning we didn't notice until we noticed there was no lock on it.”
Bos said a culprit took a screen window out of the co-owner's office window “where they knew stuff was at, and then hid it.
“They just didn't rip it out and drop it out on the ground and go in through the window. They hid it,” said the zoo owner. “If they would have checked the doors, the back door was open. They could have walked in the back door or (gone through) other windows that were much bigger, but they put a chair up to that one and crawled in.
“When they went out they locked the office door behind (co-owner) and went out the front door. It was just like they knew the routine.”
The crime was reported to Innisfail RCMP and Mounties responded shortly before 9 a.m. on Aug. 18. In a media release, RCMP noted unknown suspects gained entry to the park by cutting the chain from the main entry gates and then entered the main office to steal an undisclosed amount of cash. The RCMP is continuing its investigation into the burglary.
In the meantime, Bos said he will beef up security measures at the park, which is currently surrounded by an eight-foot-high fence.
If anyone has any information about this crime he or she is asked to contact the Innisfail RCMP at 403-227-3342 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or through the Internet at www.tipsubmit.com
Doug Bos, co-owner of Discovery Wildlife Park
"If I would have thought it would have been a random break-in it would not have been bad, but if it is a previous employee, what do you do? You trust previous employees. It is very upsetting."
