Authorities on Monday raided a zoo in Malaysia's southern Johor state and freed some 60 animals of 40 species after they were found to be kept in horrifying conditions that violated zoo guidelines, local daily The Star reported Tuesday.

Some 80 Wildlife and National Parks Department officers armed with tranquilizer guns, metal cutters and blowtorches cut through the cages and removed the animals, many of which were protected species from Saleng Zoo on Monday in a sting operation that is expected to last at least a week.

Officials said the zoo failed to renew the special permits to keep the animals and hold the licensed species such as bears, tigers, porcupines, crocodiles and ostriches.

The raid was the first of its kind to be conducted in the country since the new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, which provides significantly higher penalties and mandatory jail terms for wildlife crimes, came into force last year.

The zoo came under scrutiny last month when the daily exposed the poor conditions under which the animals were kept.

Large animals like tigers and lions were confined in very small cages and were often poked by irresponsible visitors, as written by several animal rights activists on their blogs, due to the proximity the visitors could get to the caged animals.

The zoo was also said to be providing tiger shows, a practice banned by the authorities last year.

Animals seized from Saleng zoo were transferred to several zoos in the neighboring state of Malacca.

The zoo was set up in 2001 on a 8 hectares land with an initial investment of about 3 million ringgit (almost a million U. S. dollars.)