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| Wild dogs kill four in Mexico City, say officials | Wild dogs kill four in Mexico City, say officials |
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| Wild dogs mauled and killed four people whose bodies were found over the past two weeks in a park on the edge of Mexico City, authorities have said. | Wild dogs mauled and killed four people whose bodies were found over the past two weeks in a park on the edge of Mexico City, authorities have said. |
| In one case, a teenage girl frantically called her sister on her mobile phone to plead for help as the attack took place. | In one case, a teenage girl frantically called her sister on her mobile phone to plead for help as the attack took place. |
| Neighbours of the Cerro de la Estrella, a partly wooded hilltop park surrounded by the city's poor and populous Iztapalapa district, first found the bodies of a 26-year-old woman and a one-year-old child in the area on 29 December, authorities in Mexico's capital said. | Neighbours of the Cerro de la Estrella, a partly wooded hilltop park surrounded by the city's poor and populous Iztapalapa district, first found the bodies of a 26-year-old woman and a one-year-old child in the area on 29 December, authorities in Mexico's capital said. |
| The woman, Shunashi Mendoza, was missing her left arm and prosecutors said both she and the boy had bled to death and their bodies were mauled. | The woman, Shunashi Mendoza, was missing her left arm and prosecutors said both she and the boy had bled to death and their bodies were mauled. |
| Then on Friday visitors to the same park found the bodies of a teenage couple who had also bled to death. | Then on Friday visitors to the same park found the bodies of a teenage couple who had also bled to death. |
| "Experts have established that due to the gravity of the wounds at least 10 dogs were involved in each attack," Mexico City prosecutors said in a statement. | "Experts have established that due to the gravity of the wounds at least 10 dogs were involved in each attack," Mexico City prosecutors said in a statement. |
| Alejandra Ruiz, 15, and her boyfriend Samuel Martinez, 16, had gone to the park on Friday afternoon. The girl called her sister, Diana Ruiz, at around 7pm pleading for help. "Several dogs are attacking us, help me!" the girl screamed. The call then stopped. | Alejandra Ruiz, 15, and her boyfriend Samuel Martinez, 16, had gone to the park on Friday afternoon. The girl called her sister, Diana Ruiz, at around 7pm pleading for help. "Several dogs are attacking us, help me!" the girl screamed. The call then stopped. |
| Ruiz told Milenio Television she thought her sister was joking and still doesn't believe her sister was killed by dogs despite the call. | Ruiz told Milenio Television she thought her sister was joking and still doesn't believe her sister was killed by dogs despite the call. |
| She said she later visited the place of the attack and saw no pools of blood. "There needs to be a thorough investigation," she said. | She said she later visited the place of the attack and saw no pools of blood. "There needs to be a thorough investigation," she said. |
| Antemio Maya, president of the Street Dog Protection Association in Mexico City, also doubted that dogs could have killed the people found in the park. "It's not the behaviour of street dogs to kill humans," Maya said. | Antemio Maya, president of the Street Dog Protection Association in Mexico City, also doubted that dogs could have killed the people found in the park. "It's not the behaviour of street dogs to kill humans," Maya said. |
| Maya said authorities should focus on sterilising pets and educating people about pet ownership instead of spreading the idea of killer animals. | Maya said authorities should focus on sterilising pets and educating people about pet ownership instead of spreading the idea of killer animals. |
| "The authorities trapped beagles, Maltese, poodles; can you imagine how long it would take for them to kill a person?" he asked. | "The authorities trapped beagles, Maltese, poodles; can you imagine how long it would take for them to kill a person?" he asked. |
| "A lot of people get tired of their dogs and they simply throw them on the streets," he said. "This is going to create a terrible hate for street dogs and that's going to lead to even more abuse." | "A lot of people get tired of their dogs and they simply throw them on the streets," he said. "This is going to create a terrible hate for street dogs and that's going to lead to even more abuse." |
| However, the Mexico City public safety secretary, Jesus Rodriguez, told Milenio Television the bodies were not dumped in the area as some had suggested. He said the victims had bite wounds that were inflicted while they were alive and others after they had died. | However, the Mexico City public safety secretary, Jesus Rodriguez, told Milenio Television the bodies were not dumped in the area as some had suggested. He said the victims had bite wounds that were inflicted while they were alive and others after they had died. |
| He warned against visiting the park and said all the dogs in the area would be trapped and checked to see if they were involved. | He warned against visiting the park and said all the dogs in the area would be trapped and checked to see if they were involved. |
| At least 100 police officers were scouring the park in search of wild dogs. They had trapped 25 by Monday night, including 10 females, eight males and seven puppies. The dogs had been living in caves and crevices in the park, prosecutors said. Experts would testing the dogs for traces they had killed humans, authorities said. | At least 100 police officers were scouring the park in search of wild dogs. They had trapped 25 by Monday night, including 10 females, eight males and seven puppies. The dogs had been living in caves and crevices in the park, prosecutors said. Experts would testing the dogs for traces they had killed humans, authorities said. |
| Iztapalapa is a poor district on the eastern outskirts of Mexico City, and stray dogs roam many of its streets. Hundreds of thousands of spectators gather each holy week in the Cerro de la Estrella park to watch a reenactment of the mock crucifixion of Christ. | Iztapalapa is a poor district on the eastern outskirts of Mexico City, and stray dogs roam many of its streets. Hundreds of thousands of spectators gather each holy week in the Cerro de la Estrella park to watch a reenactment of the mock crucifixion of Christ. |
| Mexico City's famed Chapultepec Park, in the city's centre, also has feral dogs living in wooded areas and there have been reports of minor attacks on human, but none fatal. | Mexico City's famed Chapultepec Park, in the city's centre, also has feral dogs living in wooded areas and there have been reports of minor attacks on human, but none fatal. |
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