Animals Struggle To Survive At Abandoned Spanish Zoo

Owing to negligence and increased animal deaths, a zoo in Spain’s Costa de la Luz was forced to cease operations after activists started lodging complaints against it. But instead of making arrangements to transfer the remaining animals to other shelters or their natural habitat, zoo owners left the animals to languish in their cages.

According to an article by The Daily Mail, the Parque Zoologico Prudencio Navarro was closed two months ago, and recently, some heartbreaking images of the poor animals emerged which revealed their deplorable condition.

Seeing the animals helplessly lying in their enclosures, activists have warned that they will either escape the zoo in the absence of adequate supervision or will die within their enclosures.

The article quoted the Spanish activist organization Proyecto Gran Simio (Great Ape Project), who blamed zoo authorities for their sheer negligence in taking care of the animals. When approached for a comment, a spokesperson for the organization drew a grim picture of the zoo’s condition.

‘The zoo is in a state of chaotic abandonment, with depressed animals unattended by veterinarians. There is stagnant water in their enclosures, with great danger of infection if they consume it. It could also become a nest of mosquitoes, transmitting diseases. Most of the animals are doing very badly psychologically.”

He further added that he had no idea if the animals were being fed properly, and a look at their pictures suggests otherwise. He also said that activists in Spain are urging the government to build a safe sanctuary for animals who are abandoned by zoos so that circuses cannot use and exploit them.

As the news went viral on social media, people expressed their anger and condemnation by using strong words, such as “awful,” “extremely shameful,” and “the owners are demons.” Others offered their monetary help and assistance to rescue the poor creatures.

Animals are left to die at abandoned Spanish zoo https://t.co/spiyHg8GuQ

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) March 29, 2019

This isn’t the first time that such a tragic story has surfaced. In 2016, animals met a similar fate in Armenia’s Gyumri Zoo. Per a separate report by The Daily Mail, lions, bears, and guinea pigs were left to rot in their cages after the owner abandoned the zoo and vanished from the scene.

In an attempt to save the animals, an elderly couple fed the animals slaughterhouse scraps. The couple stumbled upon the creatures by chance. What angered and saddened animal-rights activists was that the poor animals were bought on a whim by a billionaire Armenian oligarch, who used the creatures as a source of entertainment at jungle-themed parties.