Animal-rights advocates have accused Egypt’s Giza Zoo—Africa’s oldest zoological garden—of killing dozens of carnivores in recent days, including 16 lions and six tigers, allegedly to cut feeding costs or clear space for an expansion project.
“This kind of mass killing cannot happen without a compelling justification,” said veteran campaigner Dina Zulfiqar, who first flagged the allegations on social media and told The New Arab she wants clear answers from the Agriculture Ministry, which oversees the zoo and its renovation.
Opened in 1891 and long a low-cost escape for Cairo families, the Giza Zoo has been closed since mid-2023 for a revamp that will merge it with the adjacent Orman Garden. The Emirati contractor leading the project says upgraded, more natural enclosures and restored Victorian structures will meet modern welfare standards.
After the claims surfaced, Egypt’s cabinet media unit released a 24 August video quoting a foreign executive involved in the project saying some animals were transferred to other facilities for care during construction and that those remaining are being kept safely with proper feeding and veterinary oversight. A pro-government outlet cited unnamed experts defending euthanasia in limited cases as “mercy killings.”
Rights groups counter that any cull must meet strict veterinary criteria and transparency standards—conditions they say have been lacking at a zoo long criticized for cramped, unhygienic cages, poor nutrition and inadequate oversight. Past reports documented rough handling and inducements for animals to perform for visitors.
Advocates argue the renovation must come with a culture change, not just new infrastructure. “If confirmed, these killings are a crime,” said activist Nesrine Sobhi, calling for an independent inquiry and publication of transfer logs, veterinary records and mortality data.
The controversy has tapped wider sensitivities over foreign involvement in Egyptian assets and fears the upgraded zoo could become unaffordable for ordinary visitors. Officials have not released a detailed accounting of animal numbers before and during the closure, nor a final reopening date.