If you haven’t seen it yet, photos of a skinny Asiatic lion in Zoo Negara with its ribcage visible, have been making its rounds on the social media.
The photos have enraged netizens who demanded an answer from Zoo Negara who has been asking and getting donations throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
According to a report in Malay Mail, a Bernama reporter tweeted a video where she spoke to the zoo’s deputy president Rosly @ Rahmat Ahmat Lana regarding the lion’s condition.
Just interview now with timbalan presiden zoo negara malaysia Rosly @ Rahmat Ahmat Lana kes singa kurus tu sbb tukar diet dari daging ke ayam di sebabkan PKP, bekalan daging kurang. Lion tu tak berminat pada ayam. Jd dia kurus sikit tapi dia sihat cc @zlkha_z @f4izalhassan pic.twitter.com/pwK4NU11VD
— nadia (@nadiazaman__) June 13, 2020
In the video, Rosly explained that the lion got thin because the zookeepers had switched to feeding it chicken instead of meat due to food shortages during the MCO.
Chicken just does not cut it
The zookeper said that the 15-year-old male called Manja Kani, disliked the new menu and lost some weight as a result of not eating as heartily.
“(Manja Kani) was a bit fussy and it was difficult for us to get our meat supply during the MCO.
Pray for our skinny lion. This big cat
— MohdFaizalHassan (@f4izalhassan) June 11, 2020
was once the king of his land.
(Today's picture by @zlkha_z ) pic.twitter.com/cSKtdphRyt
“It’s not that we cannot afford it, but there just wasn’t any supply that could come in.
“We fed the animals whatever meat we had and focused on giving chicken instead,” said Rosly adding that the lion is still in good health.
Netizens unhappy with explanation
This, however, did not sit down well with netizens.
Many questioned the fact that the zoo received millions of donations but still failed to feed meat to the lions.
Minta Mereka keluarkan perbelanjaan mereka secara public Dan justifikasikan setiap benda mereka belanja kan?
— Windwisper89 (@windwisper89) June 14, 2020
Diet dia daging lembu or kambing etc (aka big game), theres no way they will want to eat daging ayam or itik etc (aka small game) on daily basis. Ingat dyorang tu mcm manusia ke boleh tukar2 diet? Dah tu mmg diet dia, kau siapa nak kata dia picky? pic.twitter.com/q6V88blu0a
— frequentflyer (@callsignManta) June 15, 2020"The lion's diet consists of beef or mutton (a.k.a big game), there's no way they will eat chicken or duck etc (a.k.a. small game) on a daily basis. Do you think they're like humans who just change their diet? That's what it eats. Who are you to say that it is picky?," tweeted @callsignManta.
Dissatisfied netizens also signed a Change.org petition called “Save Zoo Negara!” to demand an investigation into the case.
The petition aims to get 15,000 signatures. More than 11,000 have already signed it.
