A Guangzhou aquarium denied claims it has kept polar animals in an unsuitable environment and caused the death of a grouper, saying that their purpose is to popularize science and nurture marine life.
Li Chengtang, manager of the Grandview Aquarium in South China's Guangdong Province, was quoted by media as saying that the aquarium provides enough space for polar animals to live and play and professionals are monitoring animals' mental health.
An article went viral on WeChat recently, accusing the aquarium of keeping a beluga whale in filthy water, confining a whale shark to a small tank and causing the death of a grouper through neglect.
The Guangzhou Ocean and Fishery Bureau has opened an investigation into the aquarium and found that some animals died or were hurt when being moved into the aquarium, Guangzhou Daily reported.
The bureau has demanded the aquarium improve their rescue system.
The article claims that the aquarium houses its polar bears in an environment which is likely to harm their mental and physical health.
The article, written by Net user "Qianban," said that the standards that must be met to open an aquarium have been lowered in China recently and more animals will be hurt as a consequence.
Li argued that no animals have died in the aquarium and they keep the whale shark in a 44-meter-long and 8-meter-high tank, which he claimed is the biggest glass tank in China.
As for activists' criticisms about the aquarium training sea lions to perform, Li said that the aquarium aims to offer an experience of the "polar ocean world" as well as scientific knowledge.
