Pacas Found Hanging in Cancún Home; Animal Cruelty Investigation Underway

Cancún, Quintana Roo — A report of suspected animal cruelty brought police and state investigators to the Villas Otoch housing development in Cancún, where several pacas — large rodents known locally by the Mayan term sereque — were found hanging from a clothesline inside a home in an advanced state of decomposition. The people involved were detained and turned over to the corresponding authorities.

Residents Alerted Authorities

According to initial reports, neighbors in Villas Otoch were the ones who raised the alarm about the animals being kept in conditions that could amount to animal cruelty, and they asked authorities to intervene.

Officers from local security agencies and personnel from the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office responded to the scene, since the case involves specimens whose legal protection must be taken into account during the investigation.

The pacas were found hanging on a clothesline inside a home, already in an advanced state of decomposition. The conditions in which they were discovered alarmed area residents and prompted the intervention of prosecutors.

Investigation Into a Possible Ritual

Preliminary, unofficial accounts suggested the animals may have been used in some type of ritual. That version has not been confirmed by authorities, however, so the reason the specimens were placed in those conditions has not been established.

When questioned, those involved reportedly said the pacas were intended for consumption, although the animals were already dried out when they were discovered.

That explanation will have to be weighed against other evidence gathered by investigators as they work to clarify the circumstances of the case.

Detainees Turned Over to Authorities

After the intervention at the Villas Otoch home, the people involved were detained and placed at the disposal of the relevant authorities.

Officials must now determine their legal status and establish whether any legal responsibility applies, taking into account the circumstances of the discovery and the possible harm to specimens of wild fauna.