Horrifying Conditions at Indonesian Zoo Leaves Giraffe Dead, Others Starving

SURABAYA, Indonesia (The Blaze/AP) — At an Indonesian zoo, tigers are emaciated and the 180 pelicans packed so tightly they cannot unfurl their wings without hitting a neighbor. Last week, a giraffe died with a beachball-sized wad of plastic food wrappers in its belly.

The conditions at Indonesia's largest zoo are crowded and food is scarce. The zoo was once the considered one of the most impressive collections in Southeast Asia, established nearly a century ago.

But today the Surabaya Zoo is a nightmare, plagued by uncontrolled breeding, a lack of funding for general animal welfare and even persistent suspicions that members of its own staff are involved in illegal wildlife trafficking. Representatives at the zoo said that management turnovers and some ill will among staff has the animals suffering the consequences.

This AP report delves into some of the issues at the zoo that has bears begging for peanuts: