Flood Devastates Guangxi Zoo, Over 100 Animals Lost

A catastrophic flash flood triggered by Typhoon Maysak has destroyed the privately owned Guigang Zoo in Guangxi, southern China, sweeping away more than 100 animals from over 20 species and killing three lions whose owners made the agonizing decision to lock them in their cages to protect nearby residents, according to Caixin Global.

The disaster unfolded within the broader devastation of the 2026 Guangxi Floods, which killed 39 people and left 9 missing. Typhoon Maysak stalled over the region for 26 hours, dumping record-breaking rainfall that triggered multiple dam failures, including at the 68-year-old Liulan Reservoir, a “problem reservoir” originally built in 1958. The floods affected more than 375,000 people across 14 cities.

The Impossible Choice

The Guigang Zoo, which opened in March 2024, sits in a densely populated residential area with the nearest home just 50 meters away. When floodwaters began rising rapidly at dawn on July 6, zoo owner Yin Feifei and director Wang Liyuan faced an impossible dilemma: release the large predators and risk the lives of thousands of nearby residents, or keep them locked in their cages and hope for the best.

At around 3 a.m., the water was only calf-deep. By 5 a.m., an employee woke to waist-high water, triggering an emergency evacuation. Within hours, the flood had submerged the zoo’s enclosures under nearly 10 feet of water.

“When facing danger, protecting public safety is always the priority, but the public criticism made us feel terrible inside,” Wang Liyuan said. “The flood came ferociously, water levels rose rapidly… there was simply not enough time, equipment, or manpower to safely move large predators.”

Zoo owner Yin Feifei made a harrowing decision. He entered the dangerous animal area as waters rose, telling his staff: “If I can come out, I’ll come out. If I can’t, don’t worry about me.” He locked every cage, ensuring no dangerous animals could escape into the surrounding community.

Aftermath and Public Outcry

When floodwaters receded on July 8, the scale of the loss became clear. Three lions had died, including a pregnant lioness over three years old. More than 100 animals from over 20 species had been swept away by the current. The estimated damage stood at approximately 4 million yuan ($590,000).

The zoo owners initially faced a firestorm of online criticism. Social media users accused them of cruelty for locking the lions in to drown, without understanding the full context of the impossible situation.

One staff member reflected: “In outsiders’ eyes, lions are dangerous beasts; but in our hearts, these animals we lived with day and night are our family.”

As more details emerged, public opinion began to shift. What had initially appeared as callousness was increasingly understood as an agonizing decision made under impossible circumstances — a choice between saving animal lives and protecting human lives in a situation where both could not be saved.

Recovery and Forward Look

As of late July, recovery efforts remain difficult. Continuous rain has hampered cleanup operations, and only the predator zone has been fully cleaned. The zoo has only a three-day supply of pig feed remaining, with donations from the public and government agencies helping to sustain the animals that survived.

The tragedy at Guigang Zoo highlights the vulnerabilities of small private zoos in disaster-prone regions and raises difficult questions about animal welfare versus public safety during natural disasters. It also reflects the broader infrastructure challenges facing China as extreme weather events intensify. A national investigation into dam failures was launched on July 24, signaling government concern over systemic vulnerabilities exposed by the floods.

For the zoo owners and staff, the road ahead is long. They must rebuild not only their facility but also their lives, mourning the animals they considered family while knowing that their split-second decision may have saved human lives. As one staff member poignantly put it, the animals they lived with day and night were family — and losing them, even to save others, is a wound that will not soon heal.