BLOEMFONTEIN - The Bloemfontein Zoo has been closed for three years and won’t be reopening this December as planned.
During an inspection of the premises, the SPCA had found the animals in a bad state.
Some had even starved to death.
This sparked an outcry which led to the zoo’s closure.
The collapse of Bloemfontein Zoo led to jobs and revenue losses for the Mangaung metro.
Locals say they've long accepted the reality of an uncertain future for the zoo.
But they’re worried about what they call the looting of its animals.
All that’s left is bird life and a herd of nine buffaloes.
Mangaung's mayor says the zoo will not be opening this festive season as planned.
Professor Hendrik de Waal from the University of the Free State worked with the zoo for years before it shut its doors.
He says it's beyond shocking and frustrating what led to its closure.
Provincial authorities say the revival of the Bloemfontein Zoo would boost the local economy.
But some opposition parties in the metro aren't convinced that there’s political will to sort out the mess.
As efforts to revive the zoo continue, locals remain deprived of enjoying the beauty of the Big Five and other animals it once housed.
* eNCA's Siphamandla Goge reports.