The Colón Zoo in Matanzas now stands deserted, its animal inhabitants all gone, following the tragic deaths documented by activist Evelin Sara Cruz Álvarez on Facebook. For months, Cruz Álvarez has chronicled the decline of this state-run facility.
According to Cruz Álvarez, the two lions that once resided there perished after attacking each other. Despite public warnings about potential dangers, no action was taken to separate them, leading to their demise eight months later.
The zoo's crocodile, which had managed to survive neglect and water scarcity, met a grim fate—stolen and eaten by unknown individuals.
In an attempt to save the zoo's monkey, it was transferred to another facility but unfortunately died there as well. "It doesn't matter where they take them; all zoos in this country are nothing but disguised squalor," Cruz Álvarez lamented.
Long-standing Warnings Ignored
Cruz Álvarez has been vocal about the zoo's dire conditions since December 2025, describing it as "a living cemetery" with enclosures akin to "slow torture chambers." Despite filing a formal complaint with the Municipal Agriculture Ministry, she received a response claiming they had no authority to enforce changes.
In August 2026, Daylin Cardona from the Huellas de Amor Project disclosed that her organization had been sending photographic evidence to the Agriculture Ministry in Matanzas for six months without any effective response. The sole official action was to close the zoo, leaving the animals without care.
Activist Adriana Piña Herrera, who documented the zoo's conditions over eight months, criticized the closure as "a patch, a signature, a 'that's it.' But the animals didn't understand paperwork. They understood hunger and cages."
A Wider Crisis in Cuban Zoos
A video by Pedro Llanes on September 20 captured the zoo's current state: empty cages overgrown with weeds, trash piling up, and crumbling walls.
The Colón Zoo's plight is not unique. In August 2026, a lion killed another at the Las Tunas Zoo after being deprived of meat for over 13 days. Meanwhile, the Cárdenas Zoo, also in Matanzas, has become a construction site for housing developments.
The National Zoo closed in September due to power and water shortages. Although it has since reopened, it now rations food for nearly 1,000 animals, relying heavily on private donations.
Cuba's Animal Welfare Decree-Law No. 31, established in 2021, is effectively dormant in state facilities, according to activists.
"How many more zoos must become graveyards? How many more animals need to die before someone takes action?" Cruz Álvarez questioned, yet no official response has been forthcoming.
The State of Zoos in Cuba: Frequently Asked Questions
What led to the closure of the Colón Zoo?
The Colón Zoo was closed due to the deaths of its animals, which resulted from neglect and lack of proper care. Activists have long warned about the dire conditions and the lack of response from authorities to address these issues.
How are other zoos in Cuba affected by similar issues?
Several other zoos in Cuba face similar challenges, including food shortages, inadequate facilities, and lack of funding. This has led to closures, such as the National Zoo, and tragic incidents, like the lion killing in Las Tunas.