Lions dead, zebras on the run as floodwaters devastate zoo in southern China
Plea for help to locate ostriches, raccoons and other missing animals includes warning to the public not to get too close
According to an official notice on Wednesday, two zebras, 30 peacocks, two ostriches, nine deer and multiple parrots were among the animals lost when some of the cages at the Guigang Zoo were damaged.
“To ensure public safety and that of those animals, we implore the public to provide tips to assist in finding them,” the zoo said. “Please keep a safe distance, as some animals including ostriches and raccoons can attack in fear.”
At least one zebra survived the deluge, appearing momentarily at a nearby village, according to a post on social media. It was unclear whether the animal had been captured since.
Zookeeper Wang Liyuan told Chinese media that when the flooding hit on Monday, staff locked all carnivores to prevent them from escaping and harming the public, and so far three lions had drowned.
More than 20 kinds of herbivores were lost and the zoo suffered an estimated loss of 4 million yuan (US$588,000), she said in an interview published on Thursday, with an image of multiple collapsed cages and snapped trees, all covered in mud.