Chinese park pleads for live chickens to stop tigers starving in lockdown

Consumers and investors have been worried that China’s return to sweeping Covid-19 lockdowns could hit the production of Apple’s iPhones and Elon Musk’s Teslas. But in a corner of south-west China, desperation has risen over a very different question: how to feed endangered tigers.

The Guizhou Wildlife Park this week issued an urgent plea for live chickens and fish, as well as steamed buns and frozen crabs, over concerns that the animals could starve as lockdowns choke supply chains. The park is home to endangered Siberian, white Bengal and South China tigers, as well as pandas, crocodiles and zebras.

“Almost 70 per cent of the animals kept in the park are protected species, but at present, the park’s feed stockpiles are far from enough,” the park’s owner said in a letter sent to local authorities.

The difficulty feeding the animals is the latest sign of the challenges caused by the strict implementation of President Xi Jinping’s zero-Covid policy.

It also comes ahead of a critical Chinese Communist party meeting at which Xi is set to secure an unprecedented third term in power.

About 50 Chinese cities that are home to roughly 290mn people, more than a fifth of the population, are under partial or full lockdowns or restrictions, according to Nomura. This number could grow in the coming days as health officials ratchet up testing during a national holiday.

In the province of Guizhou, several cities are under pandemic restrictions, affecting a combined population of nearly 10mn.

The wildlife park, which is located 50km north of Guiyang, said its call for help — which also included a request for stocks of sweet potato, peppers and frozen shrimp tails — was swiftly handled by local authorities. Within 24 hours, several ecommerce groups, including Alibaba’s Hema Fresh, JD.com and Walmart, had offered future deliveries.

The park said it must keep at least 10 days of live food for some animals, as it was uncertain how long the lockdowns would last.

The shortages reflected deepening worries about food security and supply chain breakdowns returning across China as Covid restrictions were expanded. Panic buying, including in the megacity of Chengdu, which went into lockdown last week, was a stark reminder of the chaos that hit Shanghai, China’s biggest and most affluent city, in April.

“Over the past week, the overall Covid situation deteriorated considerably in China,” said Ting Lu, Nomura’s chief China economist.

“What is becoming increasingly concerning is that Covid hotspots are continuing to shift away from several remote regions and cities — with seemingly less economic significance to the country — to provinces that matter much more to China’s national economy,” he added.

In the Yunyan district of Guiyang, officials cautioned residents after a pack of macaques started roaming the city’s streets looking for food, following the temporary closure of nearby monkey parks this week.