Man charged with murder over alleged stabbing death of co-worker at Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium

December 20, 2023

A Canberra man has been charged with murder over the apparent stabbing death of a 29-year-old woman at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra on Monday.

Tshewang Choden was found dead in the Zoo's commercial kitchen area early on Monday afternoon after emergency services responded to reports of ‘loud screams’.

Shortly afterwards her co-worker Jude Wijesinghe, was taken into custody after being found with appeared to be self-inflicted wounds, and taken to the Canberra Hospital.

ACT Police said Wijesinghe and the victim both worked at the attraction but advised that it was not known whether they had any relationship outside of their respective jobs.

Detective Superintendent Hall O'Meagher of ACT Criminal Investigations said the woman's cause of death would be confirmed by a post-mortem examination in the coming days, but "at this stage it looks like she's been stabbed to death with a knife", which was found at the scene.

In a statement yesterday, an ACT Policing spokesperson advised that Wijesinghe had been charged with murder in a bedside hearing from the Canberra Hospital.

The statement advised "ACT Policing homicide detectives have today charged a 29-year-old man with one count of murder during a bedside hearing following an incident at the National Zoo and Aquarium yesterday.

"The man was refused bail, and will next appear in court on 4 April 2024."

The Royal Bhutanese Embassy confirmed the deceased woman was a Bhutanese national in a statement, but said it was unable to share further information while the investigation was underway.

It advised “the embassy is in close contact with the bereaved family of the deceased as well as the police and providing consular support.

"The close-knit Bhutanese community in Canberra is deeply affected by this tragic incident involving a member of our community and is rallying around the bereaved family during this very difficult period.

"On behalf of the family and our community, we request that the media respect their privacy and allow them space to grieve this extremely tragic and sad loss."

The National Zoo and Aquarium, along with its tours and encounters, was closed yesterday but in a statement said it would reopen today although the Jamala Wildlife Lodge onsite accommodation will remain closed until 30^th December.

The Zoo expressed their condolences to the families of those affected by the incident, adding that staff had been "significantly affected".

The National Zoo and Aquarium from the air (top, credit: National Zoo and Aquarium) and Jude Wijesinghe has been charged with the murder of Tshewang Choden at the Zoo on Monday (below, credit: Facebbok).

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