In devastating news, 14 penguins have been killed by a fox at Melbourne Zoo.
The zoo released a statement, saying the keepers were "devastated" to arrive on Wednesday morning to find the dead bodies of the penguins. The surviving 15 penguins have been moved to a secure area at the zoo while staff search for the culprit.
The remaining penguins have been attended to by zoo keepers, who say they are not injured and have settled into their temporary home.
"Keepers had suspected for the past week that a fox had managed to enter the Zoo, but so far the traps and camera traps set up have been unsuccessful in locating it," the zoo said in a statement. "As the Zoo’s 22 hectares include large areas of densely planted vegetation and is surrounded by parkland, it is relatively easy for a fox to hide during the day."
A spokesperson for Melbourne Zoo told Mashable Australia a feral pest expert has been called in to advise the hunt for the killer fox. "Staff are holding up as well as could be expected, and they are focusing on taking care of the surviving penguins," she said.
It is not unusual for foxes to be in Melbourne parkland but due to the fact they are nocturnal, they are rarely sighted. Foxes often feast on baby animals and are a known pest in Victoria.
The zoo said foxes rarely get into the grounds and the fences and gates are being further secured to prevent another attack.