Ministry Assigns Team to Probe Lion's Death in Surabaya Zoo

Surabaya, E Java (Antara) - The Forestry Ministry assigned an investigative team to probe the death of Michael, an African lion, who was found strangled by a steel cable inside his cage at the Surabaya Zoo on Tuesday (Jan. 7). "We are also cooperating with the police investigators to shed further light on the case," Head of Investigation Sub-Directorate Area I Ministry of Forestry Suharyono stated here on Friday. The team, comprising three investigators, collected evidence from the scene. "We have not yet arrived at any conclusion, as we are still in the fact-finding process," Suharyono remarked. The 18-month-old male African lion was found dead on Tuesday, after his head got stuck in a cable attached to the cage door. "The zookeeper found the lion dead in his cage at 7:00 a.m. local time. The lion possibly got ensnared at night," spokesperson of the Surabaya Zoo Agus Supangat noted on Tuesday (Jan. 7). Supangat further added that Michael, the lion, belonged to the East Java Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and was moved to the Surabaya Zoo on March 28, 2013. The ill-fated lion showed no signs of sickness or disease before his demise, Operational Director of the Surabaya Zoo Liang Kaspe claimed. "The lion was healthy and agile," Kaspe stated. This incident comes close on the heels of other reported deaths of animals at the zoo, which include a giraffe, tiger, and wildebeest. The poor management of the Surabaya Zoo has drawn widespread criticism and international attention. (*)