A male Sumatran tiger died at Surabaya zoo, where hundreds of animals have died in recent years. Rama, a critically endangered tiger is another addition to the list of the death of the zoo, which includes several orangutans, giraffe and wildebeest.
In a statement to Agence France Presse spokeswoman Veronika Zoo Lanu said Rama 16 years died of heart failure, but insisted that the tiger had successfully processed.
"The death was due to natural causes, we have provided the best care we could"
But according to AFP, Rama -. who died on April 10 - had a series of health problems and suffered from a bad cough and was lethargic weeks before his death. According to Channel News Asia , there are only three male Sumatran tiger and six females left in captivity. In nature, the number is estimated to be as low as 400.
Rama is not the first Sumatran tiger to die at Surabaya Zoo, the largest zoo in Indonesia. In 2013, a 13-year-old male tiger was also found dead in his cage, believed to have died from hepatitis and pneumonia.
The Surabaya Zoo has been criticized by activists of neglect and abuse of animals that die from malnutrition and disease. Numerous petitions asked the Surabaya Zoo to be closed.
With more than 213,000 signatures, a petition by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for the "death of zoo" to be stopped immediately.
The petition said: "Although it is too late for many animals, hundreds of others are living in hellish conditions of the zoo daily The Surabaya zoo should be closed immediately, and. animals must be sent to sanctuaries or other facilities that are better able to take care of them. the world is watching and waiting for officials to show their commitment to the welfare of animals. "
The city administration took over management of Surabaya Zoo, although it did not stop a stream of dead animals, and animal protection groups continue their struggle for closing the zoo.