Overview
- Environment Minister László Gajdos announced a comprehensive investigation after saying official files reveal a “complete chaos” in the paperwork for 17 zebras kept on the Hatvanpuszta estate.
- Minister Gajdos said most animals lack provenance documents, many records were created retroactively, and at least one zebra escaped in winter and died from exposure.
- The zebras are formally linked to the Hatvanpuszta estate owned by Viktor Orbán’s father and to a hunting company controlled by Orbán ally Lőrinc Mészáros, which previously said it held the necessary permits and had rescued the animals.
- Footage of the zebras from late 2024 became a motif in protests critical of corruption, and the new government under Péter Magyar has prioritized probes into alleged mismanagement from the prior administration.
- The investigation could prompt administrative or legal penalties because Hungarian rules require provenance and permits for exotic animals, and officials will likely examine how permits were filed and how animal safety was managed.