A man who stole a baby meerkat from Perth Zoo by hiding it in a cooler bag and playing loud music to muffle its distressed cries "fell in love with it" and "thought it would be cool as a pet", a court has heard.
When Jesse Ray Hooker visited the zoo for the first time on September 19, accompanied by his friend and co-accused Aimee Cummins, he reached over the waist-high glass barrier to grab the newborn.
The pair, both 23, went to McDonald's then took the meerkitten home, adding it to a menagerie of four dogs and one cat.
It was found two days later during a search of a house in the town of Beverley, in WA's Wheatbelt region, about 130km east of Perth.
Hooker's lawyer Chad Silver told Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday his client intended to bring the one-month-old back after seeing media reports of the theft, but police arrived before he could.
Mr Silver said meerkats were friendly and it ran over to him.
Hooker found it "very cute indeed" and promptly scooped it up.
"He fell in love with it," Mr Silver said.
The police prosecutor said the only explanation Hooker offered was "it would be cool as a pet".
Mr Silver said Hooker had no intention to sell the animal and accepted his behaviour was stupid.
While the lawyer argued the theft was a "very simple offence" with "no sophistication", the prosecutor said it involved deceit as Hooker actively hid the animal.
She suggested a suspended prison sentence, saying trusting visitors was crucial to the zoo being able to function.
The magistrate described the crime as a "very deliberate exercise" involving a popular animal whose disappearance was considered a significant loss to the public and zoo.
But given Hooker's young age, record of only traffic offences and early guilty plea, he was fined $4000 and ordered to pay court costs of $205.
He was denied a spent conviction, which means it will appear on his record.
Mr Silver said his client had offered to visit the zoo to deliver a personal apology.
The lawyer told reporters outside court it was his client's first visit to the zoo and at the time, the work done there "was not understood".
Cummins, who has been charged with receiving, did not appear in person, with Mr Silver citing medical reasons and intense media pressure.
The magistrate was unimpressed and adjourned her matter until January 16, saying she must appear in person.
Mr Silver said Cummins would enter a plea then.
A 31-year-old Beverley woman was also charged on Wednesday with possessing stolen property in relation to the meerkitten theft and is due to appear before Northam Magistrates Court on December 10.
Australian Associated Press
