A jaguar that was featured at an Olympic Torch ceremony was shot dead by a soldier soon after the event in the city of Manaus as the animal escaped from its handlers. It is called as Juma. It was killed on Monday at a zoo attached to a military training centre.

Juma was brought to take photographs with the Olympic Torch.

“We made a mistake in permitting the Olympic torch, a symbol of peace and unity, to be exhibited alongside a chained wild animal. This image goes against our beliefs and our values,” the local organising committee Rio 2016 said in a statement.

Juma tried to escape from the handlers soon after the event finished. A soldier thought that the Jaguar wouldn’t be controlled only if it was shot. He fired a single pistol shot. “We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016,” the committee added.

Animal organisations have questioned the involvement of the animal in the ceremony while severely criticising the killing. Rio 2016 apologised for the incident.