Havana Zoo Strains Under Fuel Crisis as Diesel Rations Fall to 25 Percent of Need

Cuba's National Zoo operates on five liters of diesel daily—a quarter of the 20 liters required to transport food across its sprawling 375-hectare grounds. The shortfall exemplifies Cuba's broader energy crisis, which has forced rotating blackouts and fuel cuts nationwide. Zoo director Juan Carlos Santos confirmed animal populations remain stable, though rationing degrades diet quality, refrigeration capacity, and veterinary response capacity that a facility of this scale requires.