Authorities investigate Fuyang Wildlife Park after animal deaths report
A zoo in central China's Anhui Province is under investigation following reports of the abnormal deaths of numerous animals, including Siberian tigers, African lions, and giraffes.
Animals at Fuyang Wildlife Park were said to have been neglected due to disputes over zoo management rights. The surviving animals, including 16 Siberian tigers, are confined in cramped cages, raising serious concerns about their well-being, according to a report in the China Philanthropist magazine.
It said that between October 2019 and March 2023, a total of 10 Siberian tigers had died, while from June 2020 to August 2023, 11 Siberian tiger cubs were born, but only one survived.
On May 10, a reporter with the magazine visited the park and found the bodies of young animals stored in freezers, while those of adult Siberian tigers, African lions, giraffes, and black bears were piled in a cold storage room of about 10 square meters, awaiting disposal.
Two African lions held in a damp, confined cage in the park.
Fuyang city authorities said on Monday that an investigation team would be looking into the deaths and those responsible would be held accountable.
The park announced a temporary closure from Monday but said it would resume normal operations on Thursday.
Fuyang Wildlife Park has been embroiled in management rights disputes since its inception.
Fuyang Wildlife Park.
The magazine said it learned from the forestry bureau of Yingdong District in Fuyang that construction of the park had been halted for nearly two years due to land use disputes. The partially completed park was far from meeting the necessary environmental standards for wildlife, with no adequate facilities in place.
Regardless, the zoo was inaugurated before it was properly completed. On May 1, 2021, it began a trial operation.
A forestry bureau official said some deaths were caused by inbreeding, leading to genetic health issues and vulnerability to disease, the magazine reported.
Meanwhile, insiders told the magazine that the dispute over operating rights had halted staff salaries and disrupted essential services such as water and electricity.
Consequently, wild animals either perished from thirst and hunger or became more prone to illnesses.
A Siberian tiger held in a small, poorly lit cage in the park.
One visitor gave the park a low rating in May on dianping.com and complained that the tigers had to drink dirty water.
The bodies of young animals are stored in freezers.
