A Beverley woman who kept a one-month-old meerkitten stolen from Perth Zoo in her bedroom for two days until she was caught by police has avoided a prison sentence.
On Wednesday, 23-year-old Aimee Cummins pleaded guilty to receiving the stolen animal and was sentenced to seven months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
Her co-accussed, 23-year-old Jesse Ray Hooker pleaded guilty to stealing during a court appearance at Perth Magistrates Court in November 2018 and was fined $4000.
Cummins and Hooker both from the Wheatbelt town visited the zoo in September last year.
Hooker reached over the waist-high glass barrier to grab the newborn, later saying he "fell in love with it" and "thought it would be cool as a pet", the court heard during his sentencing.
He used a cooler bag to hide the animal and played loud music to muffle its cries.
The pair went to McDonald's, then took the meerkitten home to join four dogs and one cat.
Cummins kept the animal in her bedroom at a Beverley home for two days until police found it.
The meerkitten had just started venturing out of its nest box and staff were unsure whether it had been taken by a visitor or snatched by a predatory bird.
As a result of inquiries by Kensington and York police a search warrant the meerkat was recovered.
York Police acting sergeant Rob Wolfe said officers were happy to report that the animal was found in good health and returned to its mother.
“The removal of any animal from a zoo is treated seriously and police will always try their utmost to recover the animal before it suffers any further harm,”
