In a bizarre heist attempt that seemed better suited for a cartoon caper than a criminal record, a group of men allegedly tried to steal a fawn (young deer) from the Lucknow zoo. Their master plan? Not high-tech gadgets or intricate blueprints, but a branch from a Gular tree and a bit of rope.

In a series of comically unfortunate events, things quickly went awry for a group of would-be animal thieves at the Lucknow Zoo. On Wednesday, four laborers scaled the boundary wall using a chopped tree branch and tried to catch a fawn in the deer enclosure.

However, their clumsy attempt was spotted by a vigilant zoo keeper, who raised the alarm. As the staff gave chase, the thieves scrambled to escape, using the same tree branch to scale the wall. But their lookout, Rajesh Mishra, wasn’t as fast, he was caught red-handed.

Mishra, a local restaurant caretaker, is believed to have masterminded the heist, guiding the others from outside. An FIR has been filed under the Wildlife Protection Act, and police are now searching for the remaining three. This bizarre incident highlights the need for tighter security around animal enclosures to prevent any future “wild” attempts at theft.

While the incident reads more like a comical misadventure than a serious threat, it underscores a stark reality. The fact that individuals could so easily breach the perimeter with such rudimentary tools highlights a pressing need for better safeguarding of animal enclosures.

Zoo officials have rightly acknowledged the security concerns, stating they will review the measures in place. After all, a zoo's first duty is to protect its residents, even from strangely old-fashioned and poorly executed theft attempts.