PETALING JAYA, June 15 — Zoo Negara has denied claims that its animals are being underfed after photographs of one of their Asiatic lions with its ribcage visible went viral on Twitter.

Bernama journalist Nadia Zaman tweeted a video of the zoo’s deputy president Rosly @ Rahmat Ahmat Lana explaining that the zookeepers had switched to feeding the lions chicken instead of meat due to food shortages during the movement control order (MCO).

The lion in the photo, who is a 15-year-old male called Manja Kani, was not a fan of the new menu and lost some weight as a result.

"(Manja Kani) was a bit fussy and it was difficult for us to get our meat supply during the MCO.

"It’s not that we cannot afford it but there just wasn’t any supply that could come in.

"We fed the animals whatever meat we had and focused on giving chicken instead,” said Rosly.

Rosly emphasised that Manja Kani’s health has not been affected and that he and his mate Manja Ella are being taken care of properly.

However, this failed to placate sceptical Twitter users who did not buy Rosly’s explanation.

"This excuse is ridiculous. Zoo Negara gets millions of donations. Animals need to be fed, MCO or not. 

"You don’t simply just change their diet then blame them for being picky,” said one user.

Malaysians began demanding an explanation from Zoo Negara last week after the photo of Manja Kani with his ribcage visible surfaced on Twitter.

Many brought up the fact that the zoo has received more than RM2.2 million in donations and sponsorships from the government, private corporations, and individuals in 2020 as stated on its website and questioned why the animals still looked poorly.

Others were also angry over the zoo’s lack of transparency as its annual reports and list of key personnel are nowhere to be found online.

More than 10,000 people have also signed a Change.org petition called "Save Zoo Negara!” that was launched last week to demand a proper investigation into the animals’ and workers’ welfare.