Jaguar Used in 2016 Rio Olympics Torch Ceremony Shot Dead After Escape

A jaguar that was used as part of the 2016 Olympic torch relay has been shot dead in Manaus, Brazil, after it escaped. 

As noted by Reuters (via the Guardian), the animal was shot on Monday at a zoo despite being sedated. It’s said that the jaguar escaped from its handlers during the event.

“We made a mistake in permitting the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and unity, to be exhibited alongside a chained wild animal,” said a statement from the Games’ organising committee, per the same source. “This image goes against our beliefs and our values.”

The decision to kill the animal has been met with criticism from animal rights groups. “When will people (and institutions) stop with this sick need to show power and control by confining, taming and showcasing wild animals?” read part of a statement on the Facebook page of the Animal Freedom Union, a group based in the host city of Rio de Janeiro, per Reuters.

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Per Reuters, the jaguar is nearly threatened as a species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

The mascot for the 2016 Games in Rio, scheduled to start on August 5, is a jaguar by the name of Ginga.