Dominic Fritz, the mayor of Timisoara in western Romania, said he would close the city's Zoo and start a modernization project.

His announcement came after people started sharing on social media photos of a very sick stag at the Zoo. Mayor Fritz announced on Facebook that the animal died and that he has decided to close the Zoo, a place in which no money has been invested since 2014.

"Unfortunately, the stag at the Zoo could not be saved. A short investigation I made showed that this was not about its mistreatment or neglect but about an illness the animal had been suffering from for 3 weeks. Animals can no longer live in these habitats where no money has been invested since 2014. Improper living conditions contribute to the deterioration of their health," Dominic Fritz said on Facebook.

"My decision is to close the Zoo for modernization," he added.

The mayor said the local authorities would contact twin cities of Timisoara that have modern zoos, such as Szeged, Karlsruhe, Mulhouse, and ask for support for this project of modernization aimed at bringing Timisoara Zoo's habitats to European standards.

"Under no circumstances can we keep open a zoo for entertainment, a zoo with unacceptable conditions. Animal welfare must come first," Dominic Fritz also said.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Dominic Fritz)