One of Japan's most visited zoos has been forced to delay its summer opening after one of its employees told police he had disposed of his wife's body in the zoo's incinerator. The revelation has stunned the city of Asahikawa in northern Japan and turned what should have been a straightforward reopening for the holiday season into a criminal investigation of a deeply disturbing nature.
As reported by the BBC, Asahiyama Zoo was scheduled to welcome visitors on Wednesday after a three-week maintenance break timed ahead of Japan's Golden Week holiday period. Instead the city government announced the zoo would remain closed until at least Friday while police investigations continue. Authorities also warned that the zoo could be shut again without prior notice if the investigation requires it.
