The alleged feeding of a cat to a snake at a zoo in Masbate City has sparked widespread outrage on social media, leading local authorities to launch an investigation into the incident.
A video circulating online shows a cat inside a snake’s enclosure, prompting accusations that the cat was intentionally fed to the snake. In response to the public outcry, officials from the Masbate City government, along with the Provincial Veterinarian and Provincial Agriculture Office, conducted an onsite inspection at the zoo.
The owner of the zoo, Fructosa Perez, denied any wrongdoing, claiming that a visitor placed the cat in the enclosure and filmed it for content without permission.
“I am not at fault here. Maybe I am not to blame because it was the visitor who did it, and that’s why it went viral, because maybe it was his purpose to put it there since he’s a vlogger,” Perez stated.
If proven true, those responsible for feeding the cat to the snake could face charges under the Animal Welfare Act. Dr. Wen Laurio, President of Veterinary Masbatenyo and from the Provincial Veterinarian Office, emphasized that cats are considered companion or pet animals and should not be fed to snakes.
During the inspection, authorities also discovered that the zoo lacked necessary permits. Although the zoo had applied for an amusement establishment permit in 2018, it had not received approval.
“Upon further investigation, we also found out that there was no business permit for the establishment, which is considered like an amusement park,” said Dr. Celso Rosero, Officer in Charge of the City Veterinary Office.
As a result of these findings, the local government unit (LGU) has ordered the temporary closure of the zoo pending the outcome of the investigation.
