Fifty animals have starved to death in the last six months at a zoo in Venezuela with some having not eaten for up to two weeks.
The deaths occurred at Caricuao zoo in Caracas due to chronic food shortages that have hit the nation.
Vietnamese pigs, tapirs, rabbits and birds are among those that starved to death while other animals remain at risk across the country.
Marlene Sifontes, a union leader for employees of state parks agency Inparques which oversees zoos, said: ‘The story of the animals at Caricuao is a metaphor for Venezuelan suffering.’
Currently, thousands of Venezuelans are skipping meals or spending hours queuing up to get food at the local supermarkets because of the large food shortages spurred by the economic downturn.
An investigation has been launched into the deaths of ‘various species of wildlife’ at the zoo.
At the moment, lions and tigers are reportedly being fed mango and pumpkin to make up for the reduced quantity of meat, the union leader said.
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