A popular Japanese zoo has delayed its opening for the summer season after an employee told police he threw his wife’s body into the zoo’s incinerator, local media reported.
Asahiyama Zoo in the northern city of Asahikawa was supposed to welcome visitors on Wednesday, in time for Japan’s Golden Week holiday period, after completing a three-week maintenance break.
But the city government said the zoo would remain closed until Friday as investigations continue.
Last week, police searched the zoo grounds after the employee told them he had thrown his wife’s body into the zoo’s incinerator, local media reported.
The incinerator was used to dispose of animal carcasses when they died.
Opened in 1967, Asahiyama Zoo is one of the country’s most popular zoos, known for its unusual enclosures – featuring glass domes and overhead cages – that allow visitors to observe the animals up close.
The zoo, which receives more than a million visitors each year, has been closed since April 8 for maintenance in preparation for the summer season.
According to local reports, authorities have been searching for the employee’s wife since a friend reported her missing to police.
Apologizing for the inconvenience, authorities also warned that the zoo could be closed without notice if the investigation required it.
Hirosuke Imazu, the mayor of Asahikawa City, told a news conference Tuesday that authorities were now grappling with what he described as an “unprecedented crisis.”
“No one could have predicted it,” he said. “I am overwhelmed by immense anxiety and am facing a crisis of unprecedented scale.”
“We are preparing to welcome you, so we hope that as many people as possible will come to the park.”