A goat is seen at Bugyeong Zoo in the southeastern city of Gimhae on Aug. 23, 2023.
GIMHAE, Aug. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — Animal enthusiasts from all over the country have come together to raise funds aimed at providing animal feed for a private zoo that has garnered controversy due to its cramped and outdated facilities.
Recently, a diverse range of food supplies reached Bugyeong Zoo, located in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
The zoo received seven crates of frozen chicken, collectively weighing over 100 kilograms, as well as 120 kilograms of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with hay.
“Animals don’t favor fruits with low sugar content; monkeys tend to disregard them. This quantity of food should be sufficient to sustain the animals for about a week,” a zookeeper said.
The animal feed dispatched to Bugyeong Zoo was procured by an animal protection group utilizing funds contributed by animal enthusiasts across the nation.
A recent incident drew public attention to an elderly lion residing alone in a small indoor enclosure at the same zoo.
In response, the zoo decided to suspend its operations starting from Aug. 12.
Presently, the zoo is home to around 60 animals belonging to some 30 distinct species including lions, tigers and ostriches.
Upon being informed of this situation, the Busan branch of the Korea Alliance for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took to social media to share the zoo’s sponsorship bank account number.
Within a mere span of 10 days, an excess of 10 million won (US$7,540) was raised from across the nation. This sum of money proves ample to cover the cost of feed for about two months.
With the remaining animals slated for sale, the zoo’s director has expressed intentions of permanently closing down the establishment.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
