Stealer’s remorse? Tiger, camels stolen along with trailer in Quebec found safe 3 days later

Thieves elect not to hold that tiger, those camels

DRUMMONDVILLE, Quebec — Maybe they had expected horses. Whoever stole a trailer in Quebec last week later abandoned it, leaving a tiger and two camels from an Ontario zoo safe inside.

Quebec provincial police spokesman Ronald McInnis said Jonas the tiger and camels Shawn and Todd were recovered near Saint-Edmond-de-Grantham, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Montreal. A passerby saw the trailer on a rural road Monday evening and called police.

“They were in great shape. The veterinarian thinks that the people who stole the animals gave them something to eat and drink,” said McInnis.

The animals were found roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the motel parking lot where their trailer and the truck used to tow it were taken Friday. The truck was recovered earlier, McInnis said.

Police said the tiger, caged separately from the camels, looked spry when police located the trailer. One camel, which appeared to have a lopsided smile on its face, came to the door of the trailer after police opened it and craned his head outside.

Officials at the Bowmanville Zoo had been concerned about the tiger becoming dehydrated, which could have been deadly. Camels can go up to 10 days without drinking.

Head zookeeper Stefanie MacEwan said the public will have to wait a little longer before getting a look at the animals in their habitat.

“The veterinarian gave them a good bill of health,” she said Tuesday. “They’re not going to be on display today because the veterinarian wants to take extra precautions, just making sure everything is going well.”

The animals were stolen on their way back to the zoo after they performed in a circus in Nova Scotia. McInnis said police are still investigating and still don’t have a motive for the crime.