Society

More animals reported dead in Shenyang zoo

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-14 15:46

SHENYANG - A total of 26 animals in 15 species were reported dead in January in a zoo in northeast China's Liaoning Province, where massive death of Siberian tigers were reported last week.

The January death toll of animals included four Siberian tigers and 22 other animals, according to a list of animals in the Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo, a copy Xinhua obtained from the zoo on Sunday.

Some of the dead animals, including one red-crowned crane, four stump-tailed macaque, one rhesus monkey and one brown bear, were under state protection, according to the zoo list, which only registered dead animals in January. The four dead Siberian tigers were included in the 11 Siberian tigers announced dead in the past three months.

Among the dead animals were four camels, one African lion, one yak, one ostrich, one springbok, one dalmatian, and one Mongolian horse, among others, it read. It did not give the reason behind the massive animal death.

The State Forestry Administration has sent a work team to probe the massive animal death.

Local animal protection officials said Thursday a total of 11 Siberian tigers, an engendered species with its worldwide population stand between 350 to 450, died of malnutrition in the zoo over the past 3 months.

The zoo, which is mainly privately owned with the Shenyang Municipal Government having 15 percent of the share, only fed the tigers on cheap chicken bones as the zoo was financially challenged, according to the official.