Marwell Zoo: Fareham man admits causing animal cruelty after bottle was thrown at giraffe during break-in

Bradley Green, 23, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal as he appeared in court alongside three friends who are also charged in connection with the raid.

Video footage posted on social media at the time of the incident at Marwell Zoo near Bishop’s Waltham appeared to show a bottle being thrown at the head of a giraffe.

A tiger was also filmed apparently being encouraged to approach a fence before being kicking out at and scared away.

A court today heard Green and two other men are accused of causing between £1,500 and £2,000 worth of damage to the zoo's fences and enclosures and causing several of the animals to be 'distressed,' before phoning a female friend to pick them up.

Multiple police units, including armed response officers, a dog unit and a helicopter were dispatched to catch the intruders following the incident in February 2021 amid fears endangered animals were at risk.

Nathan Daniels, 21, of Alexander Grove, Fareham, and Green, of Salterns estate, Fareham, and Jason Huggitt, 23, of Brockhurst Road, Gosport, all entered not guilty pleas to a charge of burglary with intent to commit criminal damage.

Daniels and Huggitt pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, while Green pleaded guilty.

Coral Lock, 23, of Southway, Gosport, who was charged with assisting an offender, did not enter a plea.

All four are now due to stand trial at crown court.

SEE ALSO: Grevy’s zebra born at Marwell Zoo

Marwell Zoo is home to Southern White Rhinoceros, Grevy’s Zebras, Pygmy hippos and Humboldt penguins - all of which are currently endangered or at risk of extinction.

Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court, today heard that on that night a gang had cut through a 'double chain link fence' before causing several of the zoo's animals to be 'distressed.'

Prosecuting, David Fosler said: ‘The zoo's general maintenance manager found that an internal fence had been cut in a vertical line.

‘A barbed wire fence had also been cut.

‘Several animal enclosures were interfered with.

‘There was damage to the tiger enclosure as well as those of the cheetah, penguins, and giraffe.

‘The damage was repaired by the in-house maintenance team.’

The court was told the zoo estimated the damage to have cost between £1,500 and £2,000, without the cost of paying their employees for the work.

The actions of intruders - who encouraged a tiger to approach a fence before being kicking out at and scared away - allegedly caused the animal to be significantly ‘distressed’.

Mr Fosler added: ‘The zoo's keepers say the animals were very distressed, particularly the giraffes, cheetahs and tigers.’

The court heard that when the three men saw a police car arrive with its blue lights on, they phoned Lock, and asked her to pick them up.

All four defendants, who have no previous convictions, were released on unconditional bail.

They will appear at Winchester Crown Court next month.

At the time, the zoo described videos which circulated on social media after the break-in as ‘appalling’.