NEWS: Animal Ransom

Another gem from the Dundee days.

By Mark McLaughlin
The Courier
6th July 2007

THE BOUNTY on the heads of the Camperdown Park animal attackers has risen to £3000.

Businessman Chris Lundie has pledged a further £1000 on top of the £2000 put up by a pair of anonymous Camperdown crusaders in yesterday’s Courier for information leading to the criminals’ conviction.

However, Mr Lundie said his feelings against the attackers are so strong that he would have put up £500,000 if he had the money.

His search for justice was inspired by his love for animals, his vegan lifestyle and the plot of the Hollywood movie Ransom.

In the movie, kidnappers attempt to extort money from a wealthy entrepreneur played by Mel Gibson by abducting his son, but rather than pay up he publicises the money as a reward on their heads.

Mr Lundie had toyed with the idea of giving the money as a donation to the park.

However, when he read that the thugs had, among other atrocities, slashed a deer with a craft knife, beaten otters with stakes and killed a terrapin, he became determined to see them brought to justice.

He said, “I’m a total animal lover and when I saw that there was £2000 being put up I thought it was a brilliant idea.

“I would have pledged more if I had the money but it’s coming out of my own pocket. I run a business in the city but this is totally personal matter for me.”

The two original Camperdown crusaders have welcomed Mr Lundie’s further pledge and have renewed their call for people to come forward with any information they have that may lead to the attackers.

Tayside Police have already acknowledged that a reward has been offered and are continuing their inquiries into the incident.

The Courier has been inundated with angry calls and letters from all over the world since the news emerged of the attacks on Tuesday afternoon—so much so that we have handed our letters page over to them.

Such has been the strength of feeling that many have called for a return to corporal or capital punishment, life imprisonment and psychological profiling for the attackers.

Some have also criticised the zoo itself for failing to provide adequate security and keeping the animals in captivity, and some have blamed police and politicians for meting out lenient sentences to violent criminals.

Two animal welfare groups have pointed out that many young people who begin by abusing animals are often extremely psychologically disordered and may progress to human assault or even murder.

Dundee City Council have been contacted by dozens of people expressing their outrage and offering their support for the wildlife centre.

Parks development section leader Kevin Gosling said there had been many offers of support in response to the attacks.

He added, “I think it’s a reflection of how the public have been totally sickened by the attacks.”

Tayside Police took their investigation into the animal atrocities at Camperdown Park into the community yesterday as they try to track down the individuals responsible for the despicable attacks.

A spokesman for Tayside Police said, “This was a terrible attack and there will be people who know those who are responsible.”