A horrifying video of a zoo in Indonesia has gone viral showing a group of bears, clearly starving, begging for food from tourists.
Source: Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group
The rescue organization who took the video,Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group, has been monitoring the situation for months, and despite pleas for change, the Bandung Zoo has not remedied the situation.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqNc_3uDyRE[/embed]Animal welfare laws in Indonesia are ineffective or non-existant in most cases, resulting in black market animal trafficking and zoos like this.The Jakarta Globe reports that only four of the 58 zoos in the country are considered acceptable.The bears in this case have visible ribs showing and show clear signs of stress and boredom.
Source: Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group
Scorpion claims that one of the bears hasbeen seen eating his own feces. They attempt to throw fruit, part of their natural diet, to feed the animals whenever they come visit.
Source: Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group
A spokesman for the zoo argued that they treat their animals well and that claims of starvation are false. He told BBC:
We provide enough food... People say they are thin, but does (that) mean they are not healthy and they are not eating? It's not.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8HbHChFYL4[/embed]However, this is not the first time the zoo has faced controversy. An elephant named Yani died for unknown reasons that activists claim was due to insufficient medical care.In any case the video speaks to the bears' conditions, and it's obvious that they are suffering.If you would like to help combat the horror that these animals experience, you can sign this petitiondemanding the closure of theBandung Zoo.
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