Freezers full of dead tigers, abused cubs and bears locked in small iron cages. It might seem like a scene from a horror movie, but it’s pure reality. It’s what was detected inside one zoo Of Fuyangin the province ofAnhui (China), where a journalistic investigation brought to light the dark secrets of the owners of the wildlife facility. The park has been accused of illegal breeding of protected species, keeping animals in inhumane conditions, death by neglect and failure to dispose of their bodies.
The investigation
The investigation was carried out by China Philanthropist, a magazine owned by the state-run China News Service. Among the animals that died from causes yet to be ascertained are 20 Siberian tigers (one of the protected species in China), two lions, three giraffes, bears and macaques. Their bodies were not disposed of and were found inside some freezers. As reported by the documentation provided by the forestry office, in 2019 the zoo – which is owned by the private company Anhui Qicai Wildlife Park – rented 25 tigers. Four died the same year, two more in 2020. From 2021 to 2023, four more deaths occurred. Furthermore, in those years, 11 tiger cubs were born, of which only one survived.
The investigation states: «The black bears that live in the park are kept all year round inside iron cages. They have worn away the fur on their heads from rubbing against the cages. One of them is no longer able to walk after being kept in such a confined space for a long time.” And again: «Some of the 16 Siberian tigers still alive in the zoo are locked up in iron cages of about 1.5 meters exposed to the elements. Other tigers and lions are locked in bungalows where there is very little light.”
The reaction of the population
The news generated a wave of frustration: “It’s not an animal park, it’s an animal prison”, they pointed the finger on social media. Chinese media report on the case that Fuyang, the city where the zoo is located, has set up a task force to investigate.
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