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
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.
