Two arrested in camel, tiger thefts

Montreal - Two Quebec men are being held by police in connection with the theft of three exotic zoo animals in Ontario last month.

According to the CBC, the two men, aged 23 and 44 were arrested by the Sûreté du Québec outside a farm near Drummondville. Sergeant Ronald McInnis of the Sûreté du Québec told the Globe and Mail that evidence had been found in a nearby barn of the animals' presence including empty cans of food and items belonging to the Bowman Zoo, the home of the stolen animals. "We know that the animals were there,” he said, adding that the investigation was ongoing and other suspects are being sought. "We know that there is more than two people who stole the truck". Both suspects are expected to appear in court this week with the younger of the two facing charges of "theft and possession of stolen property", while the older will be charged with "possession of stolen property". The bizarre case began when the three animals, two camels named Shawn and Todd and a Bengal tiger named Jonas, disappeared while being transported back to their Toronto area zoo after participating in a touring circus. Their trailer was stolen from a motel parking lot during a stopover in rural Quebec. Bowmanville zoo director director Michael Hackenberger had expressed concern for the safety of the animals and urged the thieves to show the animals were still alive.

These are animals that we've raised, that have grown up here, that we've worked with, he said. So, yeah, it's very similar to having one of your children lost and having an Amber Alert being called.

This is not about dollars and cents. This is about animals that we've had a deep and abiding affection and relationship with

The Bowmanville Zoo website now advertises the return of their three animals with the headline "they're back!!!!!!. The animals were found in good health and returned home four days after the beginning of their ordeal. It was later revealed that the zoo had paid a ransom of $20,000 to secure the safe release of the animals.