SAN FRANCISCO — A wild day for animals at a wildlife sanctuary was interrupted Tuesday when a woman and a dog were found dead.
Authorities said the discovery of the bodies at the Wildlife Sanctuary in Piedmont was the latest in a string of mysterious deaths in the sanctuary.
“There is absolutely no way that these deaths are connected to this sanctuary,” said Vicki Givens, the executive director of the sanctuary, in a statement Tuesday.
“We are still awaiting the official cause of death.”
The sanctuary was established in 1997 by local wildlife rescuers after being flooded by the drought.
But the facility was closed last year after it had a staff shortage, and the sanctuary is now a temporary shelter for people and animals.
The animals have ranged in age from six to about 15 years old, and are part of the animal rescue community.
The sanctuary says the animals come from a wide range of different species, including primates, reptiles, amphibians, birds and reptiles.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the deaths, which occurred at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday.