Chinese experts and wildlife activists are calling for improved animal welfare in zoos after two deadly attacks on keepers by hungry beasts in central Henan Province last month.

On December 31, a zookeeper surnamed Ming was mauled to death by an adult African lion while he was sweeping the cage at the Nanhai Park in Henan's Zhumadian City. Local authorities are investigating.

On December 2, keeper Xie Jian, at the Songyang Park in Dengfeng City, was killed by a black bear while feeding the animal. The zoo was ordered to suspend operations and the victim's family was given 120,000 yuan (US$17,647) in compensation.

In both cases, zoo managers blamed human error for the attacks, saying the keepers had not followed standard procedures. But relatives of the keepers refused to believe the explanations, saying no proof had been found to demonstrate they had ignored procedures.

Leaving aside the controversy over whether proper procedures were followed, police say they believe the two animals were hungry when the attacks happened, which the zoo managers do not deny. The zoos - both privately operated - have been facing financial difficulties and lax supervision.

The Dengfeng zoo, covering 2,667 square meters, opened in 1999. It has black bears, lions and camels among its attractions. The Zhumadian zoo, covering about 2,000 square meters, opened in 2000 and has 11 large, aggressive animals, including tigers, lions, leopards, black bears and wolves.

In addition to hunger, the animals' living conditions are poor at the Zhumadian zoo. Two lions are crowded into a single cage of about 8 square meters and four tigers live in cages between only 4 and 8 square meters.

The Dengfeng zoo has a poor business record, and its managers have been taken to court by the Songyang Park for contract disputes.

Poor conditions for zoo animals can be found nationwide. China has more than 200 zoos, according to the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens. But only the large zoos in a few cities such as Beijing and Shanghai receive government funding and attention.

"Privately run zoos always face difficulties. Their animals are often living in poor conditions and endure whippings, and many are thin and weak with disease," said Zhu Ke, an education manager of the Animals Asia Foundation, a non-governmental organization based in Hong Kong. He suggested that the number of zoos should be greatly reduced. "If a zoo is to be opened, whether it's private or government-run, the managers should prepare emergency plans to cope with difficult situations."

Professor Shi Pu, who specializes in economic management at Henan University of Finance and Economics, said zoos should be funded by the government as a public service and private capital should be prohibited.

Zhang Dongyang, founder of the Dengfeng zoo who had ended his lease with the park, also believes government takeover is the best solution. "But, look at the awful mess, I am afraid the government does not want it," he said.