Below, please see a statement from PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Welfare Debbie Metzler in response to the recent animal thefts and enclosure breaches that have occurred at the Dallas Zoo and the Central Park Zoo:

While the motivation for these crimes remains unclear, it appears that a dangerous trend could be catching on. PETA reminds everyone that removing captive animals from accredited zoos and their familiar surroundings is illegal and could easily turn deadly, especially if they’re left to fend for themselves during these cold winter months.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.