HEADLINES:
R/€ Radical animal rights group kills scores of birds in protest
February 26, 2009 Edition 4
Dozens of birds have been killed at a private zoo in Italy in an arson attack for which credit was claimed by radical animal rights activists, according to news reports.
Several bottles filled with petrol were used to start the fire which killed about 40 hawks, buzzards and owls in an aviary at the Zoom Zoo near the northern city of Turin.
"This is for the imprisoned animals - Animal Liberation Front" was found spray-painted in red near the scene of the yesterday' morning's attack.
Firefighters prevented flames from spreading to a warden's shed and other buildings, one of them housing several tigers, the reports said.
The recently built zoo was scheduled to open to the public in April, its owner said.
The Animal Liberation Front name has been used by radical groups in several countries.
Some, such as at Oxford University in England, targeted centres where scientific experiments are carried out on animals.
In 2002 hundreds of beagle dogs were stolen from a breeding kennel in Italy by Animal Liberation Front members claiming they were saving the dogs from being sent to laboratories situated abroad. - Sapa-DPA
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