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In this Nov. 13, 2012 photo, onca pintada jaguars walk in their enclosure at the Jardim Zoo in Brasilia, Brazil. The scientists at Brazil's Embrapa agriculture research agency said this week they have spent two years building a gene library with hundreds of samples from eight native species, including the collared anteater, the bush dog, the black lion tamarin, the coati, and deer and bison varieties, as well as the onca pintada jaguar and the maned wolf, according to team leader Carlos Frederico Martins. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
In this Nov. 13, 2012 photo, onca pintada jaguars walk in their enclosure at the Jardim Zoo in Brasilia, Brazil. The scientists at Brazil's Embrapa agriculture research agency said this week they have spent two years building a gene library with hundreds of samples from eight native species, including the collared anteater, the bush dog, the black lion tamarin, the coati, and deer and bison varieties, as well as the onca pintada jaguar and the maned wolf, according to team leader Carlos Frederico Martins. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)Eraldo Peres/Associated Press

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

Matt Jones
Jun 22, 2016

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

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

โ€œWe made a mistake in permitting the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and unity, to be exhibited alongside a chained wild animal,โ€ said a statement from the Gamesโ€™ organising committee, per the same source. โ€œThis image goes against our beliefs and our values.โ€

The decision to kill the animal has been met with criticism from animal rights groups. โ€œWhen will people (and institutions) stop with this sick need to show power and control by confining, taming and showcasing wild animals?โ€ 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.

Youngsters walk past the Olympic rings at Madureira Park, the third largest park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 1, 2015, 400 days ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic games. The 12-meter-high symbol was shipped from Great Britain after having decorated the T
YASUYOSHI CHIBA/Getty Images

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

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

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