Animal treatment at zoo "unacceptable"
The Council board overseeing Parken Zoo in Eskilstuna sat in a crisis meeting during the whole of Thursday afternoon following TV revelations over the way the zoo treated dead animals, keeping carcasses in a freezer for years.
After the meeting, board chairman Tommy Hamberg told news agency TT that several measures will be implemented at the zoo.
"This has been totally unacceptable and from today there will be changes in the way dead animals are handled. The freezer will be cleaned and all dead animals will be destroyed," he says.
Staff at the zoo today began emptying the freezer of dead animals.
TV4's programme Kalla Fakta accused the zoo of lying when it claimed it had sent antilopes to other zoos, when they had in fact been slaughtered. The programme claimed dead animals were kept in a freezer for several years. The zoo was also criticised for they way they dealt with two female leopards which were killed by a male. The remains of a tiger were also found in the zoo's freezer, together with frozen food for the other animals.
The zoo, which is owned by Eskilstuna council, hit back at reports that they put down pumas to make space for some jaguars. Parken Zoo says the pumas were old or sick and were going to be put down anyway.
Following the meeting, the council board said that it had continued faith in the managing director of the zoo and said that it would appoint an independent review of Parken Zoo.
TT reports that after the programme aired on television, zoo management were threatened in social media.
This week there has also been reports of animal mistreatment at Öland Zoo and management there say they have stepped up security after receiving threats against personnel.
