Editorials

Truth about tigers' death

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-16 07:54

Truth is the very prerequisite for a solu- tion to the death of 11 tigers in more than three months at a zoo in Shenyang in the Northeast.

Who is responsible for the management of the non-State-owned zoo? Why is the annual revenue of 12-14 million yuan from sales of tickets - aside from the subsidies from the local government - not enough to provide for the more than 1,000 animals? Where has the money gone?

In the past 11 years since the zoo was established on the basis of the city's State-owned zoo, the total number of animals has been reduced from more than 1,000 in 61 species to more than 500 in 41 species. More than 100 workers have been on strike for a week asking for their defaulted payment.

Simply because a State-owned zoo has been converted into a non-State entity does not mean whoever runs it can make money at the expense of the animals. And neither does it mean that whoever has the controlling share can do whatever he or she wants without being supervised by the local government.

Rumors have it that the zoo intentionally starved the tigers to death to put pressure on the local government for more money. If it is true, the decision-makers should be arrested for the crimes of killing endangered wild animals. Yet none of the leaders of the zoo has said a word.

If it's true that the local government has poured money into the poorly managed zoo over the past decade, local taxpayers have enough reason to ask whether any corruption was behind the restructuring of the zoo and if any official received any kickbacks by supporting it in the past decade.

It should not be difficult for the current investigation to find out the whole truth unless there has been some deliberate cover-up. The local government won't be able to plan for the future of this zoo and of the wild animals if the problems with the current management are not resolved.

(China Daily 03/16/2010 page8)