Daily Times

A jaguar was shot and killed following an Olympic torch ceremony at the Jungle Warfare Instruction Centre in Manaus, Brazil, on Tuesday.

According to reporters, the gorgeous jaguar named Juma was sedated for the event, but attempted to escape back into the zoo attached to the training centre after the ceremony ended. Handlers shot the feline with tranquilisers, but that didn’t stop Juma, so the solider shot the animal. The Amazon Military Command deemed the soldier’s action and killing as in line with safety procedures, Reuters reports.

Juma was a docile animal used to living among people at the centre, the army said in a statement. We made a mistake in permitting the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and unity, to be exhibited alongside a chained wild animal. This image goes against our beliefs and our values, the local organizing committee Rio 2016 said in a statement. We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016.

The mascot for the Brazilian Olympic team is a smiling jaguar called Ginga, who wears yellow, green and blue, the colours of the country’s national flag.

The use of Juma at the event was also reportedly illegal. “No request was made to authorize the participation of the jaguar ‘Juma’ in the event of the Olympic torch,” Ipaam, the Amazonas state government environmental authority that oversees the use of wild animals, said in a statement. Ipaam is now investigating the incident.

Animal activists have since spoken out about the tragedy. When will people stop with this sick need to show power and control by confining, taming and showcasing wild animals? Rio de Janeiro animal rights group Animal Freedom Union said on its Facebook page. The Olympic torch is currently travelling through Brazil ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio on August 5.