Rare antelope dies from snack that zoo visitor snuck in. ‘Had a lot of life to live’

A rare African antelope choked on the packaging of a visitor’s snack and died, a Tennessee zoo said.

Lief, a nearly 8-year-old sitatunga, “still had a lot of life to live,” Brights Zoo said June 10.

On June 8, zookeepers posted a warning on social media telling visitors not to bring in human snacks because an animal had recently choked on a patron’s food.

Two days later, they shared that Lief was the “beloved” creature that died from consuming a squeezable fruit pouch with a cap that probably looked like food to him.

Brights Zoo said it conducts bag checks to make sure snacks aren’t brought in, but visitors still manage to sneak them in sometimes.

“Not only are the keepers and all workers devastated, their herd can’t understand where their friend went,” zoo employee Connie Bright said on Facebook.

The incident sparked outrage on social media.

“It’s a sad thing when you decide that breaking the rules and having a squeezable pouch is more important than the life of an animal,” one Facebook user wrote.

Many people commented on the zoo’s post saying they hoped the culprit will see the post and be held responsible. But the zoo wasn’t so optimistic.

“We too hope they see this post, but don’t believe they will take responsibility for their actions,” zookeepers wrote on Facebook. They doubted they would ever know the person behind it.

“Devastating to read this news. I’m so sorry,” one Facebook user wrote. “People need to realize they endanger these beautiful animals.”

Sitatungas are well-adapted to aquatic environments, living in swamps and marshes in about 25 African countries, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. They can live up to 22 years in captivity.

“People make me so mad. Rules are for a reason,” another person said. “I was just there yesterday. It breaks my heart to think one (of) those precious animals I saw yesterday is not here now.”

Brights Zoo is a family-owned zoo in northeast Tennessee.