The feline was in a house in Bello (Antioquia). When the ocelot was rescued, it was evident that it was in a poor physical condition and had health problems derived from confinement.
A prosecutor appointed to the special group in the fight against animal abuse (Grupo Especial contra el Maltrato Animal GELMA in spanish) charged Sergio Alberto Mejía Caro with illicit exploitation of renewable natural resources and animal abuse for being allegedly responsible for holding an ocelot in captivity and in precarious conditions in a house in Bello (Antioquia).
Neighbors alerted about the presence of the feline in the property, therefore, the National Police of the Metropolitan Area of Valle de Aburrá and the National Army went to the place to verify the information. Upon entering, they found the ocelot locked up, in poor physical condition and seriously affected by the stress caused by being away from its natural habitat.
Given the condition in which it was found, the authorities decided to transfer it to an animal conservation center for rehabilitation.
The ocelot is a species classified as vulnerable, due to hunting and actions committed such as those detected in the property located in Bello, that is, its removal from its environment and subjecting it to captivity.
Sergio Alberto Mejía Caro did not plead guilty to the charges brought by the Office of the Attorney General.
The information contained in this press release corresponds to the narration of the objective news provided by the officials in charge of carrying out criminal investigations within the Office of the Attorney General. By the time this communication is disclosed, the legal status of the people mentioned is still pending to be resolved by the competent judicial authority, always under the presumption of innocence contemplated by Article 29 of the Political Constitution and Article 7 of Law 906 of 2004.