Khaled Tashkandi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — Masked robbers armed with machine guns raided a rest house and fled with three rare animals valued at more than SR500,000.



The thieves also stole SR14,000 in cash after beating up and locking the workers in one of the rooms in the rest house.



Ibrahim Al-Ossaimi, owner of the rest house and the animals, said the incident took place early Sunday when eight masked men armed with machine guns stormed the rest house, locked all the workers in one room, beat them badly and fled with the animals and the cash.



He said surveillance cameras had filmed the robbery and showed the gunmen beating up the workers.



Al-Ossaimi said the stolen animals consisted of a cheetah, tiger and jaguar named Shandar, Sheera, and Baqaira respectively.



He announced a reward of SR50,000 for anyone who helps him get his animals back.