A shockingly skinny lion spotted living alone in a cramped cage of a financially distressed zoo in the southeastern city of Gimhae is set to move to a spacious new home about 300 kilometers away on Wednesday.

The lion, a 20-year-old male, drew nationwide media attention in mid-June when it was photographed by visitors to Gimhae Bugyeong Zoo in a state of suspected severe malnutrition, along with other animals that were apparently malnourished and poorly cared for, such as unshorn sheep with dirty fleece.

Many visitors have since written protest letters to the Gimhae city government, calling for measures to protect the lion and about 100 other animals of 30 species from apparent animal abuse by the privately run zoo. The operator of Bugyeong Zoo explained that its facility is outdated and the number of visitors plummeted until recently due to COVID-19 but the animals have never been starved.

The visitors showed particular sympathy for the skinny lion, which was born in Seoul Children's Grand Park in 2004 and has lived in Bugyeong Zoo since 2016.

The lion is set to travel about 270 km to the north to a public zoo in the central city of Cheongju, officials said, adding it will be transported in an air-conditioned truck to avoid exhaustion or damage to health in the hot weather.

Besides the lion, a horse with a severely lame hind leg will also be sent to Cheongju Zoo, they noted. The Ministry of Environment is expected to soon approve the animal transfers in accordance with the relevant international rule.

Unlike the narrow cage at Bugyeong Zoo, Cheongju Zoo has an exclusive space for lions that covers about 1,650 square meters.

Lions are a pack animal. Cheongju Zoo officials expect that the lion may adapt to the new environment, as the zoo already has a 12-year-old female lion and a 19-year-old male lion. (Yonhap)