[caption id="attachment_94095" align="alignright" width="219"] Babolsar's zoo young chained bear, above, was reportedly seized from the wild in Gilan province, Iran. Photograph: CHN[/caption]
The environmental authorities ofIranhave sued a zoo for keeping animalsin poor conditions, particularly for chaining a bear to a post.
Iran's environment department said on Wednesday it had inspected Babolsar's zoo, in the northern province of Mazandaran, and was pursuing a legal case following complaints by the public over the mistreatment of animals held there.
On social networks Iranians recently shared pictures of a bear with a chain fastened to its neck, and expressed outrage about the way the animal was being held captive in Babolsar.
Mohammad Darvish, of the department's educational and public participation office, toldthe news website Tabnakhe was dismayed at seeing the bear's plight and said he believed the zoo should be closed down.