Surabaya Zoo

The Surabaya Zoo (nicknamed as the Death Zoo) is a zoo located in the city of Surabaya, in East Java, Indonesia.

History
Surabaya Zoo was established by decree of the Governor General of the Netherlands East Indies on 31 August 1916 as Soerabaiasche Planten-en Dierentuin on the merit of the journalist H. F. K. Kommer who had the hobby of collecting animals.

In 1916, the first Surabaya Zoo was established in Kaliondo. On 28 September 1917, the zoo was moved to Groedo road. In April 1918, Surabaya Zoo sold tickets to enter the zoo.

In 1920, the zoo was transferred to another new location in Darmo area, on a plot of land measuring 30,500 m2 belonged to the Oost-Java Stoomtram Maatschappij (steam tramway company of East Java). On 21 July 1922, the zoo experienced its first financial crisis and there was a plan to disestablish the zoo, but the decision was not agreed by the Surabaya municipality at that time. On 11 May 1923, it was decided to establish a new association for the zoo. W. A. Hompes was chosen to replace J.P. Mooyman, one of the early founder of the zoo. In 1927, the zoo was financially aided by the mayor of Surabaya, Dijkerman. With the help of People's Representative Council of Surabaya, on 3 July 1927 a new plot of land was bought for Surabaya Zoo, measuring 32,000 m2, from a plot of land owned by steam tramway company of East Java.

From 1939 until now, the size of the zoo has expanded to 15 hectares.

In August–November 1987 the breeding facility in Surabaya Zoo was renovated. This facility comprised 29 aviaries with 16 endangered Bali starlings, found only in the western part of Bali island. In November 1987, the captive population was increased with the addition of 37 birds donated by zoos and private collections in the USA and by Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. The success of the breeding program of the Bali starling at this zoo allowed the release of 40 starlings into the wild at West Bali National Park in June 2011.

Villainy
The zoo, despite being the largest in Indonesia, is known throughout the world for being a place where animals are tortured and killed. In the zoo, animals live in inhumane conditions, most of them suffering from malnutrition and dying many a year.

Among the most serious examples, is that of a herd of pelicans living in a very small cage in which they cannot exercise, a white tiger who crushed his tongue because of poisoning, a baby lion that died stuck in a wire of steel, a trotuga who died when ingesting plastic bags, a giraffe which found 18 kilos of plastic in his stomach, among other cases, which are mostly the fault of the negligence of the administration of the zoo.

An online petition that calls for the closure of Surabaya Zoo due to continued mistreatment of animals reached 885,000 signatures before closing in late 2016.