Tiger deaths expose mistreatment at zoo
- Source: Global Times
- [03:28 March 15 2010]
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By Ji Beibei
Days after a Liaoning Province zoo was forced to explain how 11 Siberian tigers died under its care, workers raised allegations that the zoo used the dead animals to make prized tiger bone wine, a charge that an investigator refuted.
An official from the State Forestry Administration dismissed published allegations. The tigers died from malnutrition caused by budget problems at the zoo.
However, the case raised questions about the poor treatment the tigers received.
A Beijing News report quoted zoo workers as saying that several cans of tiger bone wine, regarded as a health tonic, were made and kept at the zoo.
"We had a check and didn't find tiger bone wine," said Zhang Xiwu, of the State Forestry Administration, after a visit to the zoo Saturday. He told the Global Times Sunday that the bones of all 11 tigers were sealed for safekeeping.
China banned the sale of tiger parts in 1993 after joining the international ban in 1981.
Local animal protection officials said Thursday that the Siberian tigers, an endangered species with a worldwide population of between 350 and 450, died after they were fed only chicken bones. In fact, a regular adult zoo tiger usually eats 20 kilograms of beef a day.
Another 26 animals including four camels and an African lion died at the zoo in January, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday.
Zhang said supervision would be strengthened.
"This is a huge loss and a lot to learn from the fact we lost 11 endangered tigers at the same time," he said.
The zoo has been in financial trouble and 145 employees went on a strike after they were not paid for 18 months. Some 70 percent of the workers went back to work after the local government, which has taken over the zoo temporarily, got involved in the dispute.
The privately run zoo was temporarily closed in November after two tigers were killed for attacking people. The local government had given the zoo financial assistance, but the zoo owner Yang Zhenhua used the allowance to pay his personal debts, a report by China National Radio said Sunday.
Zhang said authorities are still investigating Yang's role behind the death of the tigers. The local government has allocated 7 million yuan ($1.03 million) to help the zoo protect its remaining animals.
About 2 million yuan ($292,980) of the funds will be used to pay workers.
The status of the remaining tigers remains the top concern.
"About two or three of them are in very bad condition as a result of long time starvation and lack of care," Zhang told the Global Times, adding they are now getting emergency treatment.
Chinese Business Morning View quoted Zhao Yujun, a professor who inspected the tigers, as saying some of the dead tigers' eyeballs were sunken, possibly due to dehydration.
An animal expert called for tighter supervision and management of zoos.
"We lacked a national standard for the management and care of zoos, " Ning Hua, a project manager at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, told the Global Times Sunday, adding that there are fewer than 50 wild tigers left in China.
A national random check of zoos is high on the agenda of the department, Zhang said Sunday.
