'Why let him suffer?' Internet furious as shocking footage of malnourished lion in zoo goes viral
NANJING, CHINA: A shocking video shows a 25-year-old lion allegedly starved and merely skin and bones in a Chinese zoo. The sight of the large cat, named Ala, who appears to be so undernourished that it even has difficulty in walking, has infuriated and disturbed many.
Viewers can see the lion's ribs in the frightening footage, which was shot at Jinniu Lake Safari Park in Nanjing, China. The video shows the lion staggering downstairs as if it would collapse at any moment. The video has caused widespread internet fury, with many people accusing the zoo of failing to properly care for the lion kept in captivity.
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'Why let him suffer?'
The video shared on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, has received several comments from an angry audience. One user said, "This is too much suffering. If you can't afford to feed it, send it to a different zoo that can," while another said, "Why let him suffer? It should have been left living in nature." Meanwhile, a third added, "This zoo is too much, starving the lions like this."
The zoo said the lion can no longer chew his food
However, the zoo officials later explained that the lion's shocking appearance was due to the animal's old age and inability to chew food. They stated that if the 25-year-old huge cat were a human, he would be 80 years old. Authorities confirmed that Ala is cared after by professionally skilled veterinarians in a private cage and given a special diet of liquid protein and small slices of meat, as per Daily Mail. They added, "Usually, we let it out for a walk in the morning or evening."
Jinniu Lake Safari Park, Nanjing, China
Despite the disturbing video, Jinniu Lake Safari Park is one of Trip.com's top five family-friendly attractions in Nanjing. The total area is divided into two sections - walking and self-driving. Tourists find it convenient to rent an electric car because "You can drive to the top of the mountain to see the overall scenery." Although it has a 4.2 out of 5 ratings overall, there are hundreds of evaluations that are unfavorable, with some visitors criticizing the zoo's "poor management" and others lamenting the high expenses.
