Cancun, Q.R. — A young jaguar was rescued by firefighters after he became stuck in a tree in the Cancun Hotel Zone Friday.
The cat was found in an 8-meter-tall tree on the grounds of the former restaurant and zoo Pepe’s Tigres, after it escaped from its cage. Elements of the Cancun Fire Department were called to the scene shortly after noon Friday to rescue it. Aquileo Cervantes, operational director of the Cancun Fire Department, said it took about an hour to rescue the cat and return it to its owner, José Juárez Gil.
The old restaurant, which is located on Kukulcán Boulevard, is alleged to have several other animals caged inside. Since firemen are not the competent authorities in animal instances, they were not able to request to see the owner’s legal documentation for the animals, but only report the incident to the Directorate of Ecology to review the situation.
Reports say in 2011, Pepe’s Tigre, which is a show for tourists, had eight of his exotic animals removed by authorities after a Profepa operation.
