“Here’s an email I’m eager to share with you, I’m so relieved these animals are now safe!!” But there is so much more work to be done to free animals from dilapidated road side zoo!!”
Animaland Zoo Shut Down For Good
Dear Julie,
Now they have grass under their paws, clean water, companionship, enrichment and veterinary care. At last, thanks to the Animal Legal Defense Fund and your support,the animals once held at Animaland Zoo in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania will get the lives they deserve. With you by our side, we sued the roadside zoo for violating the Endangered Species Act and state wildlife laws. In the face of our lawsuit, Animaland settled with us and shut down. We were able to step in and choose new locations for Bear the wolf and the two black bears, Shawn and Sandy.
Let’s celebrate this together—your continued support of the Animal Legal Defense Fund empowers us to litigate these victories for animals.
Help Us Rescue Other Animals in Captivity
All of the animals at Animaland were suffering physically and psychologically. Sandy and Shawn were forced to share a concrete enclosure for 17 years. Almost two decades in a cell hardly big enough for the bears to move in. Thanks to our lawsuit and logistical support from the sanctuary team at Lions Tigers & Bears, Sandy and Shawn are now living at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, a Texas sanctuary where they’ll have the freedom they need.
We also found a safe place for Bear the wolf to live out the rest of his life. Bear was lethargic at Animaland, a pack animal in agonizing solitude. After being nowhere near others of his kind for years, Bear is now safe at the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania, where he is exploring lush vegetation amongst other wolves.
Your generous support helped save Bear, Shawn, Sandy and other animals from Animaland. The tax deductible donation you make today can help us find happy endings for even more animals.
We would also like to thank the law firm Baker Hostetler in Philadelphia for their invaluable pro bono assistance with this case.
Every day, the Animal Legal Defense Fund fights to protect animals, and victories like this one are the reason we never give up.
It is with very heavy hearts that we at PAWS share news of the passing of our dear friend,Asian elephantAnnie – best known for her joyous romps in the lake that is part of our Asian elephant habitat at the ARK 2000 sanctuary. She had endured severe arthritis and foot disease, which gradually worsened over many years. After it became clear that the medications and treatments used to treat her chronic conditions were no longer providing relief, she was humanely euthanized on Tuesday, while lying on soft soil and surrounded by those who cared for and loved her. At age 55, she was among the oldest Asian elephants in North America.
“Everyone at PAWS will miss Annie. She was a very special elephant,” said PAWS president Ed Stewart. “I’m proud we were able to give her a peaceful and more natural life at the PAWS sanctuary for nearly 20 years. We restored her dignity and gave her the care and respect she deserved.”
Annie was born in Assam, India, around 1960, and taken from her mother at a very early age for use in the zoo industry. She was immediately put on display in a zoo in Wisconsin, where she spent much of her life chained to a concrete floor.
In 1994, the nation was shocked by videos showing Annie and her companion Tammy being cruelly trained. While held by ropes and chains handlers “broke” the elephants, mercilessly beating them into submission. This was no undercover video; the zoo recorded the training session as instruction for other keepers. (This footage was included in the 2013 HBO documentary, “An Apology to Elephants,” narrated by actress and comedienne – and friend of PAWS – Lily Tomlin.) Under public pressure, the zoo opted to relocate the elephants to PAWS.
Annie arrived at PAWS in 1995, rescued from the Wisconsin zoo with Tammy, who passed away in 2003 at age 52 from chronic foot disease and arthritis – the leading causes of death for elephants in captivity. Despite their great intelligence and size, in captivity elephants are forced to live in small, barren enclosures that cause a multitude of physical and psychological harms. Their social, physical and psychological complexities may make them one of the most deprived of all captive wild animals.
Annie keeps cool in the lake, provided for all the animals; this is as free as any captive animal can be, pure heaven for all!
Annie’s life at the PAWS ARK 2000 sanctuary was far closer to what elephants naturally need. She had a sprawling habitat in which to roam, elephant companions, soft grass to lie down and nap on, and a lake in which she loved to bob, splash and swim. It was always a joy to see Annie enjoying her habitat – something we often shared with you on our Facebook page and on Youtube.
Over the years, Annie experienced a variety of health problems, including an injury caused by a bull elephant during forced mating. Her arthritis and foot problems had progressed, including a severe foot abscess. In 2012, Annie tested positive for tuberculosis, but never exhibited symptoms of the disease. Her general condition remained good, including normal appetite and weight, but Annie’s arthritis and foot disease ultimately made movement unbearably painful for her. Tuberculosis has been diagnosed in many elephants used for circuses and to give rides, and in zoos such as the Oregon Zoo and St. Louis Zoo.
It is a sad fact that by the time most elephants come to PAWS they are suffering the debilitating effects of a life spent in inadequate captive conditions. Annie was no exception. Had she remained in her native home, she likely would have been leading a full and enriched life today, surrounded by a family of her own.
“Our job at PAWS is to restore dignity to captive elephants and, for elephants like Annie and Tammy, give them a life free from beatings and chains,” explained Ed. “We did our best for them, and continue to make a significant difference in the lives of all the elephants and other wild animals under our care.”
As is customary for all elephants that pass away at PAWS, a necropsy is being performed on Annie’s remains by pathologists from U.C. Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and tissue samples sent to a laboratory.
PAWS thanks everyone who has ever cared about and supported Annie and helped give her – and all of the wild animals at PAWS – a life of dignity, serenity, and love. On behalf of Annie and everyone at PAWS, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts
“This next video shows pure brute strength by keepers to make Annie lay down. Watch closely & see how the bull hook is gouged into her skin to make her first lay down, then stand; Annie cries out in pain as she is manhandled, she could easily have harmed her trainers, but she didn’t. Now, listen very closely as the keepers talk about how to get her to lay down, near a diagram, around 5.29..(I can hear what sounds like an electrical shock prod) …I bet they were using it on Annie…vile acts of cruelty; just for the publics entertainment!! Annie must have thought she was in heaven when she was moved to PAWS; she finally had some freedom to behave like an elephant should, larking about in the lake & making friends with other free elephants,. I’m so grateful to PAWS for giving Annie her freedom & final home, her final resting place of peace, tranquility & compassion…God bless her soul!”
1989: Zoo training tape of Annie.
Warning: Contains graphic images that are hard to watch.
Uploaded on 5 Oct 2011
Asian elephant Annie, and her close companion Tamara, shared an elephant barn/enclosure at the Milwaukee Zoo until 1994, when videotaped recordings of cruel beatings and abusive training elicited public demands that the two elephants be sent to the PAWS sanctuary. Today Annie (Tamara died in 2002) spends her days roaming and grazing among the trees, swimming in the lake, dusting and mud-bathing before lying down to sleep on a sunny hillside.
The archaic management of elephants by zoos that have been using the Free Contact system, has been the focus of controversy between AZA and animal welfare organizations, as well as many zoo professionals who advocate the use of Protected Contact management, a safer and kinder approach to elephant management.
Free Contact allows elephant keepers and handlers to share the same space with the elephant while using the cruel weapon known as the bullhook, the ankus, or the “guide”, to control the animal and to protect the handler. This system has caused injury and death to keepers and considerable suffering to elephants. Protected Contact requires that keepers work with the animal behind barriers and eliminates the use of any weapon or punishment for the elephant. It is a system that ensures the safety of the keeper and the welfare and comfort of the elephant.
In August of this year, The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) board of directors has approved new standards that will maximize occupational safety of elephant care professionals at AZA-accredited and AZA-certified facilities. The recent release of this new policy by AZA is a giant first step toward maximizing the physical and psychological health of the elephants as well.
The Elephant Manager’s Association opposes these new standards. In a recent statement, EMA wrote: “It is the opinion of the EMA that evaluations and decisions of this sort are best made by elephant care professionals intimately involved in the program as opposed to policy makers that casually observe from a distance.”
“TORTURE CHAMBER…JUST THINK ON, THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE AN ELEPHANT IN A CIRCUS OR EVEN A ZOO…THIS IS HOW THEY WERE FIRST SNATCHED FROM THEIR MOTHERS IN THE WILD; THEN TORTURED, SO THEY WOULD ACCEPT THE COMMANDS OF HUMANS; FOR THE SOUL PURPOSE OF ENTERTAINING HUMANS…HORRIFIC!!”
VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED…BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW ELEPHANTS SPIRITS ARE BROKEN SO HUMANS CAN USE THEM…PLEASE WATCH!!
Published on 8 Mar 2012
Here are the images of the training of wild elephants that are caught for the tourist trade. Please remind yourself and tell others that by visiting elephant camps you are supporting this!
Edwin Wiek of the WFFT and Khun Lek (Sangduan Chailert) of ENP are now targeted by the DNP for speaking up about the illegal wild elephant poaching and trade. This video shows what the DNP doesn’t want you to see or know about!
“WTF…they didn’t have to kill him, Marius was offered various homes & even a business man was willing to pay thousands to save the giraffe! It seems it’s rules for one & rules for another in the EAZA operation! If they can’t or don’t want an animal that doesn’t fit their requirements, they should have a system in place whereby the un-wanted animal can always be offered an alternative home; if they can’t manage that…then perhaps they shouldn’t be breeding animals at all!!
Thanks to my dear friend on twitter.com/9marbar9 for heads up on these. Please sign:
Editor’s note: Liz Tyson is Director of UK charity, The Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS). She previously lived and worked in the Colombian Amazon on conservation projects. She is a board member of conservation charity Neotropical Primate Conservation and a doctoral researcher at the University of Essex, School of Law. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely hers.
Liz Tyson
(CNN) — The killing of a young giraffe named Marius at Copenhagen Zoo sparked international outrage this weekend. On Sunday, he was shot with a bolt gun then publicly dissected before being fed to the lions.
In its defence, the zoo has argued that Marius’ death was necessary to protect the genetic diversity of his species. It was claimed that to allow Marius to take up space that could be used to house another animal with more desirable genetic make-up may hinder conservation breeding programs.
Contraception which required sedation is dangerous and giraffes might die during the procedure. As such, Marius’ birth could not have been safely prevented. Marius could not be re-homed because sending him somewhere other than a zoo which was a member of the European Association for Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) could result in him being sold into a circus, which would be againstEAZA rules.In effect, the zoo’s hands were tied, it was implied.
None of these arguments appear to stand up to scrutiny.
Given that zoos claim that animals are kept in order to support the conservation of threatened species, it is therefore unclear why any member of Marius’ subspecies should be held captive at all.
It was further confirmed that a contraceptive for giraffes has been developed in the last few years whichallows females to be safely injected at a distancethus suggesting that Marius’ birth was not inevitable.
The director of EAZA supported the stance that Marius had to die and encouraged people to consider the “bigger picture.” But EAZA itself is less than consistent in its approach to inbreeding and, indeed, in its concern for the ultimate fate of animals in its member zoos.
Due to the serious welfare implications and the lack of conservation value of inbred animals, breeding of white lions is theoretically not allowed in EAZA zoos. In practice, both West Midland Safari Park and Paradise Wildlife Park in the UK breed white lions.
Both are EAZA members and yet, despite vociferously supporting the killing of Marius to prevent the same problem, a blind eye has been turned by EAZA to the persistent inbreeding of other species in its zoos. White lions are, perhaps tellingly, a great crowd pleaser.
In 2012 West Midland Safari Park were revealed to have sent four white lions to a circus trainer, who sent them on to a Japanese circus. That the safari park remains an EAZA member means that the rules on sending animals to non-EAZA collections are not consistently applied. Despite this, no exception was made for Marius.
In fact, rather than Marius being a tragic exception, the killing of animals considered to be surplus to requirements by zoos is something which is common in the industry.A 2003 study suggested that there are around 7,500 animals deemed “surplus” in European zoos at any one time.
Whilst it cannot be undone, Marius’ death has served an important purpose in shining a spotlight on a practice which is normally kept well-hidden from public view. As long as there are zoos, there will be unwanted animals. And as long as there are unwanted animals, more like Marius will be killed.
It has long been recognised that conservation success is achieved not in city centre zoos or safari parks, but in natural habitats. We would urge anyone with a passion for conservation to support effective in situ efforts which are truly making a positive impact on species conservation.
Viewer Discrestion Advised – Danish Zoo criticized for killing giraffe
Published on 10 Feb 2014
CNN’s Fred Pleitgen on why thousands are angry after a zoo in Copenhagen culled a healthy giraffe.
WTF…this young giraffe didn’t have to die, this is so fxxxxd up! Marius was offered numerous homes along with a guy willing to pay thousands of pounds to save the animal. This is more than tragic & has shown us the public, an insight into these so called Conservation breeding programs! If these zoo’s allow these births, then they should be prepared to re-home the animals if they do not fit in the correct genetic make-up!!
Thanks to my dear friend on twitter.com/9marbar9 for heads up on these. Please sign:
Spokesman said they were unable to find Marius a home at another zoo
Thousands had signed petitions appealing for a change of heart
Yorkshire Wildlife Park reportedly put in a last-ditch offer to take Marius in
This is the horrific moment schoolchildren crowded around to watch as the body of a perfectly healthy giraffe was chopped up before being fed to lions.
Despite more than 20,000 people signing an on-line petition to save two-year-old Marius, staff at Copenhagen Zoo yesterday went ahead and shot the animal with a bolt pistol.
Young children stood at arm’s length as his carcass was skinned and dissected before the meat was thrown to the lions.
Perfectly healthy: The giraffe named Marius who was shot dead and autopsied in the presence of visitors to the gardens at Copenhagen Zoo
The Danish zoo said the drastic move was needed to combat inbreeding and insisted the display was educational.
But animal rights campaigners last night condemned the killing of Marius, saying it exposed the cruel reality of welfare even in Europe’s top zoos.
Marius’s plight had triggered worldwide outpourings of protest, including an offer to re-home him in Britain, with many saying they were sickened by a zoo killing a healthy animal.
Copenhagen Zoo said it was told by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) that Marius was genetically too similar to the other giraffes in its breeding programme. Because captive animals are bred from a limited gene pool, zoos are monitored to prevent inbreeding and ensure the health of future generations.
After announcing plans to have Marius put down, the zoo received offers of a new home – including one from Yorkshire Wildlife Park – as well as a private buyer who offered 500,000 euros (£410,000).
A crown gathers for the public autopsy on Marius’s body
But bosses said the rules of EAZA membership meant animals could not be transferred to institutions that did not follow its rules on breeding programmes.
The zoo’s scientific director, Bengt Holst, said it was the same as parks culling deer to keep the whole population healthy.
He said: ‘Giraffes today breed very well, and when they do you have to choose and make sure the ones you keep are the ones with the best genes. The most important factor must be that the animals are healthy physically and behaviourally and that they have a good life while they are living, whether this life is long or short.’
Marius (centre) was shot with a bolt gun and will be chopped up for the other animals’ dinner.
Mr Holst said the zoo didn’t give its eight giraffes contraceptives due to ‘unwanted side effects on the internal organs’ and in order to allow animals to display natural parenting behaviour. According to Danish media, Copenhagen Zoo destroys 20-30 animals a year, including bears, tigers and zebras.
Mr Holst told the BBC spaces at institutions such as Yorkshire Wildlife Park should be reserved for ‘genetically more important’ giraffes and that the campaign to save Marius had gone ‘much too far’.
To supporters’ horror, the zoo yesterday announced Marius had been killed with a bolt gun instead of a lethal injection, which would have contaminated the flesh.
His carcass was then skinned and chopped up while visitors crowded around and the meat was fed to the lion population.
A lion feasts on the remains of Marius at Copenhagen Zoo after the mammal was put down earlier in the day
A spokesman said parents were allowed to decide whether their children should watch what the zoo regarded as an important display of scientific knowledge about animals, adding that it would have been ‘foolish’ to let the meat go to waste. Doncaster-based Yorkshire Wildlife Park, whose Danish head of ‘hoofstock’ offered to re-home Marius, said it was ‘saddened’ by the news.
‘We have a state-of-the-art giraffe house built in 2012 with a bachelor herd of four male giraffes and the capacity to take an extra male, subject to the agreement of the European studbook keeper,’ it said.
However the park said it received no response by the time it learnt that Marius had been destroyed.
Stine Jensen, of Denmark’s Organisation Against the Suffering of Animals, said the killing showed Copenhagen Zoo was not ‘the ethical institution that it wants to portray itself as being’.
Longleat Safari Park yesterday admitted it put down two lions and four cubs. The Wiltshire park said it had too many lions and they were growing violent. But visitors asked why new homes were not found.
Copenhagen Zoo Kills Giraffe Rare Red “Marius” Giraffe Killed for Science feed to carnivores (Not Graphic)
Published on 9 Feb 2014
Rare Red Giraffe Put Down at Copenhagen Zoo Marius Giraffe Killed for Science. Efforts to win a last minute reprieve for a young giraffe called Marius at Copenhagen Zoo have failed and the zoo has put the animal down. Scientists defended the action saying that giraffes had to be selected to ensure the best genes were passed down to future generations. Thousands of people had signed an online petition urging the zoo to find the giraffe another home. The carcass will partly be used for research and partly to feed carnivores.Malcolm Brabant reports.
“OMG…isn’t anyone helping these neglected animals? They live in appalling conditions, which I have already written about! I’m ashamed to be called human when others are capable of this. So who is going to help stop the animal deaths; why are animals dying? Surely the animals could be sent to other zoo’s or parks,:why are they still suffering, they need the best of care! It’s going to take a bloody miracle to get this park back to a standard fit for animals…so what are they going to do in the mean time? IF THEY DO NOTHING & THEN THE ANIMALS DEATH COUNT WILL CONTINUE. See the video at the end of this post; it’s just heart breaking….PLEASE SIGN THE PETITIONS BELOW. Please use Viewer Discretion.
The video does not play on its own, but is is very upsetting; So Viewer Discretion advised.
By RICHARD SHEARS PUBLISHED: 15:55, 8 January 2014 | UPDATED: 11:32, 9 January 2014
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE & VIDEO BELOW
Michael the 18-month-old lion ‘got his head stuck between steel cables’
Zoo denies negligence saying animal must have been ‘playing around’
His body has disappeared and police have not been able to examine it
More than 40 animals died at zoo between July and September last year
Previous expose revealed dead giraffe had 20kgs of plastic in its stomach
Tiger’s digestive tract rotted after being fed meat laced with formaldehyde
The world’s cruellest zoo has claimed another victim after an African lion was found hanging in its cage, it emerged today.
Shocking: Michael the lion is found hanging in his cage after apparently getting his head stuck between steel cables at Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia which has been heavily criticised for its treatment of its animals
The Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia, which has outraged MailOnline readers around the world after an expose on the treatment of its animals, is being investigated by police following the death of the 18-month-old lion called Michael.
But the lion’s body was removed before police were able to examine it and cannot now be found.
A senior officer declined to say whether it was believed the zoo was trying to hamper the investigation.
Michael was found strangled in his cage after his head became stuck between steel cables, the Jakarta Globe reported today.
The tragedy comes just 24 hours after it was learned that a wildebeest died in its enclosure from a stomach problem, although the zoo said that the wet weather was partly to blame.” well of course they are not going to say otherwise!!”
The death of Michael the lion is certain to cause further demands from animal lovers around the world for urgent action to be carried out at the zoo.“Yes indeed, please sign the petition below, thanks; on behalf of the animals “
Closing it down, however, is not an option because no other zoo has expressed an interest in taking the animals. “Really? I can’t believe that?”
Latest statistics, covering the months between July and September last year, reveal that 43 animals died at the zoo during that period. “43 animal deaths, surely that is enough grounds to take away all the remaining animals & find them homes were they can behave in & on their natural habitat”
Horrific: Chained by three legs, this juvenile male elephant was one of several animals which featured in a recent expose for MailOnline last month that has outraged readers around the world
Among those which have died there previously is a giraffe that was found to have 20 kilograms of plastic in its stomach and a Sumatran tiger found to have a rotten digestive tract after being regularly fed meat laced with formaldehyde.
In the wake of Michael the lion’s death, zoo spokesman Agus Supangkat denied that his death was caused by zookeepers’ negligence.
‘We are still investigating how the steel cables could entrap the African lion’s head,‘ he told the Globe.
‘Michael was relatively young. He was only one and a half years old. It could be that he was playing around and somehow his head got stuck.’
Mr Agus said each of the zoo’s lions – there are now only four left – spends its days in two different cages.
Each morning, the lions are taken to a display cage where visitors can view them. Then, in the afternoon they are moved to another cage where they sleep, said Mr Agus.
He explained that the zoo used steel cables to secure the cage so zookeepers did not have to manually open or close the cage door with their hands.
This, he said, was a safety precaution to prevent the keepers being injured.
Michael was sent to the zoo last March by the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency
Emaciated: This camel’s ribs were plain to see as it ate grass in its enclosure when reporter Richard Shears visited the zoo last month
Surabaya Police detectives chief Senior Commander Farman told the Globe that a team of officers had visited the zoo to gather evidence but the corpse was missing.
He said that if the lion’s body could be found ‘we are going to wait for the autopsy results, then we can further examine the case.’ “Well somebody knows where the body is, probably the one that killed it, or found it dead, so I suggest the police move up a gear & kick some Ass!”
Dwindling numbers: A zoo spokesman said each of the lions – there are now only four left – spends its days in two different cages, one for displaying to visitors, the other for sleeping
A MailOnline investigation into the zoo before Christmas found numerous cases of animals living in miserable conditions, including a young elephant that was chained by three legs, one of which was ulcerated because of its tight shackles.
Dozens of petitions were started pleading for the zoo to be closed and animal rights groups have added their voice to the demands.
Exposed: A MailOnline probe before Christmas found several cases of animals in miserable conditions
But a management team, headed by the Surabaya Mayor, Mrs Tri Rismaharini, has resisted improvements saying they want to retain the original structures erected by Dutch colonialists in 1916.
“WTF…only a non caring animal lover would say such a thing; all zoos have to be updated to fulfil regulations etc. protecting the animal & the public. But the animals should also be allowed to exhibit normal behaviour; to do so they better make a start & build cages that give the animal a sense of freedom, to allow natural behaviour.
I believe all animals, whatever they do or where ever they are; are entitled to the 5 F’s
Five Freedoms
The welfare of an animal includes its physical and mental state and we consider that good animal welfare implies both fitness and a sense of well-being. Any animal kept by man, must at least, be protected from unnecessary suffering.
We believe that an animal’s welfare, whether on farm, in transit, at market or at a place of slaughter should be considered in terms of ‘five freedoms’. These freedoms define ideal states rather than standards for acceptable welfare. They form a logical and comprehensive framework for analysis of welfare within any system together with the steps and compromises necessary to safeguard and improve welfare within the proper constraints of an effective livestock industry.
1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst – by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
2. Freedom from Discomfort – by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease – by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour– by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress – by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
Now I bet not many facilities can attest to the above, but they should; a simple act to follow! Surely if an animal is going to be used by humans for entertainment or killed for its meat; it is entitled to a decent life, before its last breath!!!! Living in the countryside, I’m just glad I see animals in fields & know that I can look them in the eye , & say sorry you’re going to be slaughtered; but I shall never eat you or your friends”
Raw: Horrifying footage of starved Sumatran Tiger in ‘World’s Cruellest Zoo’
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TO UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY IN HELPING THESE SUFFERING ANIMALS!
Horrifying footage of starved Sumatran tiger in ‘world’s cruellest zoo’ AP visited Indonesia’s Surayaba Zoo, where 50 animals have allegedly died in the last three months. One giraffe died with 20kg of plastic bags in its stomach.
World’s cruellest zoo: Shackled elephants, starving camels, 150 pelicans crammed into one cage – and a death toll that rises daily.
More than 50 animals have died in the last three months at Indonesia’s Surayaba Zoo, a former keeper has claimed One giraffe died last year with 20kg of plastic bags in its stomach after they blew into its cage and weren’t cleared.
In another case, a Sumatran tiger’s digestive tract rotted away after it was routinely fed formaldehyde-laced meat A Zoo spokesman defended the attraction, branded the worst in the world, but admitted: ‘We also have issues’
The young elephant has tugged at his shackled hind leg so often that the manacles have cut through the flesh, leaving it raw.
Not that freeing himself would help. A chain on his left front leg means he can move neither forwards, backwards nor sideways.
The elephant’s owner has tethered the youngster because he prefers to tend to his small shop in the grounds of the Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia.
Money comes first. And so, day after day, week after week, the elephant stands there, being released from his chains only at the end of each day.
Anyone finding the scene depressing, and who turns away to look for more happy animals in the zoo would eventually leave, as I did, utterly depressed.
Surabaya Zoo has been branded the worst in the world and when I walked through this animal torture ground I was left in no doubt its reputation was well-earned.
I live near Sydney harbour where it is a joy to watch pelicans gliding low across the waters of Blackwattle Bay. But at the Surabaya Zoo I could only shake my head in despair at the sight of more than 150 pelicans jammed into a cage, trying to share a small pool of water, so tightly packed that they could not even spread their wings, let alone fly.
‘How many pelicans does this zoo need?’ I asked a keeper. ‘They’re not endangered. There’s no need to keep this many penned in.’ He knew what I said, but I received only shrugs.
Each step took me through a macabre animal dungeon. While I saw dishes of chopped vegetables for the primates, the ribs of several large animals could be seen. One camel in particular appeared appallingly thin. A Capuchin monkey I came across appeared to almost plead to be released.
In another cage, a sad rhinoceros horn bill looks up at the blue sky, trying to take off from its perch, but there is no room to flap its wings.
Well over 50 animals have died here in the past three months, says Tony Sumampau, a former member of the zoo’s temporary management team, who had finally left in despair. ‘The keepers have stalls that they run selling food and drinks and it’s more important for them to make money than it is to be taking care of their animals.’
The zoo, was opened in 1916 during Dutch colonial rule, and next to nothing has been done to improve it. Instead, more and more animals have been packed in. A report by an independent team set up by Indonesia’s forestry ministry called for the animals be moved to other zoos but nothing has been done. Other zoos refuse to take the animals because of their condition and the fear that many of them carrying diseases.
The state of the zoo’s animals came to world-wide attention following the death of a giraffe in 2012 that was found with no less than 20 kilograms of plastic bags in its stomach. They had blown into its enclosure and the keepers had not bothered to pick them up.
The giraffe’s death would possibly have faded from the world’s conscience had it not been for the discovery of a dead female orang-utan, Nanik, in its enclosure a few weeks ago. Orang-utans, an endangered species, live up to the age of 60 in captivity, but Nanik was just 12 years old when she died, a large tumour being found in her intestines.
Sitting alone is another orang-utan. I cannot believe what I see — she is chewing on the yellow top of a marker pen someone has thrown at her. She pushes it forward between her lips, then sucks it back into her mouth. I fear she will soon swallow it. Beside her, rats scurry in and out of holes around her!
I stare at a Sumatran tiger — or rather just its face — as it peers out from behind the bars of its stone living quarters. One of its brothers, I was told, had been seriously ill with its digestive tract rotted away due to the formaldehyde-laced meat it had been fed. An African lion is reported to have died in pain, adding to the zoo’s shameful catalogue of deaths from starvation, mistreatment and other unnatural causes.
“These important signatures are to support shutting this zoo or getting some sort of management in that can raise the welfare of the animals: & getting rid of those that just don’t give a shit about the animals, just their pay packet!!”
World’s cruellest zoo: Shackled elephants, starving camels, 150 pelicans crammed into one cage – and a death toll that rises daily
More than 50 animals have died in the last three months at Indonesia’s Surayaba Zoo, a former keeper has claimed
One giraffe died last year with 20kg of plastic bags in its stomach after they blew into its cage and weren’t cleared
In another case, a Sumatran tiger’s digestive tract rotted away after it was routinely fed formaldehyde-laced meat
A Zoo spokesman defended the attraction, branded the worst in the world, but admitted: ‘We also have issues’
The young elephant has tugged at his shackled hind leg so often that the manacles have cut through the flesh, leaving it raw.
Conditions: A former keeper said more than 50 animals have died at the zoo in three months. This calf’s owner tethered it because he preferred to tend to his shop
Not that freeing himself would help. A chain on his left front leg means he can move neither forwards, backwards nor sideways.
The elephant’s owner has tethered the youngster because he prefers to tend to his small shop in the grounds of the Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia
Money comes first. And so, day after day, week after week, the elephant stands there, being released from his chains only at the end of each day.
Anyone finding the scene depressing, and who turns away to look for more happy animals in the zoo would eventually leave, as I did, utterly depressed.
Surabaya Zoo has been branded the worst in the world and when I walked through this animal torture ground I was left in no doubt its reputation was well-earned.
Cramped: This Sumatran tiger groaned as it sat in a brick hutch. One tiger last year died after its digestive tract was rotted by the formaldehyde-laced meat it ate
I live near Sydney harbour where it is a joy to watch pelicans gliding low across the waters of Blackwattle Bay. But at the Surabaya Zoo I could only shake my head in despair at the sight of more than 150 pelicans jammed into a cage, trying to share a small pool of water, so tightly packed that they could not even spread their wings, let alone fly.
Overcrowded: One aviary appeared packed to the brim with a mixture of herons and ibises, while another had 150 pelicans crammed into one cage together
‘How many pelicans does this zoo need?’ I asked a keeper. ‘They’re not endangered. There’s no need to keep this many penned in.’ He knew what I said, but I received only shrugs.
Each step took me through a macabre animal dungeon. While I saw dishes of chopped vegetables for the primates, the ribs of several large animals could be seen. One camel in particular appeared appallingly thin. A Capuchin monkey I came across appeared to almost plead to be released.
Marooned: A Moor macaque sat on its own on this island, surrounded by water with no trees to climb – only a chopped-down stump where a tree once grew
In another cage, a sad rhinoceros hornbill looks up at the blue sky, trying to take off from its perch, but there is no room to flap its wings.
Well over 50 animals have died here in the past three months, says Tony Sumampau, a former member of the zoo’s temporary management team, who had finally left in despair. ‘The keepers have stalls that they run selling food and drinks and it’s more important for them to make money than it is to be taking care of their animals.’
The zoo, was opened in 1916 during Dutch colonial rule, and next to nothing has been done to improve it. Instead, more and more animals have been packed in.
A report by an independent team set up by Indonesia’s forestry ministry called for the animals be moved to other zoos but nothing has been done. Other zoos refuse to take the animals because of their condition and the fear that many of them carrying diseases.
Bleak: This stark enclosure including a tank full of dirty water contained a solitary African pygmy hippo, pictured – which ironically enough was named Joy
The state of the zoo’s animals came to world-wide attention following the death of a giraffe in 2012 that was found with no less than 20 kilograms of plastic bags in its stomach. They had blown into its enclosure and the keepers had not bothered to pick them up.
The giraffe’s death would possibly have faded from the world’s conscience had it not been for the discovery of a dead female orangutan, Nanik, in its enclosure a few weeks ago. Orangutans, an endangered species, live up to the age of 60 in captivity, but Nanik was just 12 years old when she died, a large tumour being found in her intestines.
Sitting alone is another orangutan. I cannot believe what I see – she is chewing on the yellow top of a marker pen someone has thrown at her. She pushes it forward between her lips, then sucks it back into her mouth. I fear she will soon swallow it. Beside her, rats scurry in and out of holes in an embankment.
Rat-infested: A female orangutan played with a plastic marker pen in her mouth while a rat, bottom right, poked its head out of one of several holes on the bank
“OMG…what a life…the poor animals, they all look like they have lost the will to live; having seen their habitats, I’m not surprised. Watch the following videos, does this look like a polar bear in good condition, or a bear that wished his life away to end the loneliness & torment of being held captive?? People actually pay to see a polar bear going crazy…WTF…how is this allowed to happen??? People pay to see animals suffering; don’t they see it is wrong?? Please sign all the petitions below to try & end the miserable lives of all the inhabitants of this appalling zoo!
Polar Bear Bedroom Arturo November 2013
Published on November 24, 2013
Visit Arthur’s bedroom Polar Bear November 24, 2013 Mr. Norberto Filippo shows where we rest and cool looking animal in summer -. ecological STATES
“This poor polar bear just goes back & forth, he doesn’t even resemble a polar bear, he looks like a brown bear! Just look at his pool, would you want to swim in that?? This bear is in solitary confinement; literally going stir crazy…I feel so bad for this poor bear; I would gladly put a bullet in him to stop his suffering!
Arturo Zoocosis polar bear in JULY
Published on July 18, 2013
POLAR BEAR ARTURO in Mendoza Zoo, in the month of July 2013 In this video we see him with his long zoocosis of that terrible loneliness that afflicts us -. Walk from one side to another, always in the same place and that grievance and complaint grin on his face that hurts our souls -. their cage We watched from above and do not understand much abuse towards an animal that should be walking on ice and surrounded by sea -. CONTINUE IN THE STRUGGLE FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY LIFE ecological STATES
Mendoza Zoo: captivity is inseparable from suffering…it’s fxxxxxg appalling:–
Speciesism Zero documents the horror Mendoza Zoo
Published on 20 Mar 2013
The stark reality of zoos. March 2013 -. Images taken at the zoo in Mendoza, Argentina on 18 June 1903 are the first animals brought. From that time many other animals were taken there to be exhibited and used for commercial gain and environmentalists as if their lives do not import them or belonged to them. Zoos, contrary to what many people think, are centers where animals suffer and suffer all kinds of hardships. The animals in zoos are caged for life by depriving them of the opportunity to develop their interests and needs. A Zero activist Speciesism imaged stress, anxiety, sadness and suffering zoocosis animals. The unfair reality of Arthur around more visible than other captive animals in the zoo, as the last polar bear Argentina. He presents a clear case of zoocosis. His life was all I had, the least that we should not take.* The zoocóticos animals have suffered mental damage due to captivity, showing obsessive, repetitive behaviors and abnormal.If an animal has no control over his life, not being able to exercise or stimulate your mind begins to develop a series of repetitive or stereotyped ¨ ¨ behaviors. The zoocosis may also include self-mutilating behaviors. * The zoocosis was detected not only in captive animals in zoos, but also in animals used on farms, circuses, animal testing laboratories and other operating centers. If you care about animals, not go to the zoo. financies not slavery of animals. More info:http://especismocero.org/entretenimie … [PHOTOS] Research:http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? is …
Videos showing the appalling conditions these animals live in!
BACKGROUND: (UPDATE: 20 DECEMBER-2013)
◕Activists struggle to get elderly polar bear out of the Argentinaheat..!
Arturo is a 28-year-old polar bear who lives in a zoo in Mendoza, Argentina. Activists have been campaigning to get him out of Mendoza for months, saying the scorching hot weather is taking a toll on him. A zoo in Canada has even offered to adopt him, but local authorities have swayed back and forth on whether to let him go.
◕According to his keepers, Arturo was born in captivity in the United States. He has spent two decades in Mendoza’s zoo, where he is the only polar bear. Local activists have published multiple videos showing his living conditions online, and petitioned the zoo to let him go to Canada – but despite their continuing efforts, it seems he may not be leaving his pen anytime soon.
◕In the wild, polar bears live an average of 15 to 18 years. However, in captivity, they can live well into their 30s; one bear in a Canadian zoo lived to be 42.
✦✦READ THIS REPORT:From Maria Fernanda Arentsen is originally from Mendoza, Argentina. She works as a university professor in Winnipeg, Canada.
“There is no way for him to escape the heat, which can rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius in Mendoza”
◕◕I first heard of Arturo’s plight through friends of mine in Mendoza who are part of environmental groups there. It was clear from their reports and from videos they filmed of Arturo that he was suffering from the terrible heat in Mendoza, which is not suitable for an animal meant to live in much colder temperatures. We became especially worried about his situation after another polar bear kept in a zoo in Buenos Aires died from the effects of the heat there last year. And that bear lived in much better conditions, in an enclosure with a deep pool and big blocks of ice
.◕As you can see in the videos,(**see below) Arturo lives in a concrete enclosure with only a shallow pool. There is no way for him to escape the heat, which can rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius during the summer months in Mendoza. [The polar bear in Buenos Aires, who was 16 years old, died on a day with a high of 36.7 degrees]. He has been filmed rocking back and forth in a way that animal experts say signals distress. It breaks my heart to see this.◕◕Since I live in an area that is much more suitable for polar bears, I contacted a polar bear conservatory here, which offered to send their experts to evaluate Arturo’s condition and, if he was found fit to travel, take him back to their centre to live out the rest of his life, at no cost to the Mendoza zoo.◕At first, Mendoza zoo officials refused, but then changed their minds and invited the conservatory’s experts to come see Arturo in November. However, just days before the scheduled trip – when the Canadian experts had already booked their tickets, packed all their equipment, etc – the invitation was retracted. [Editor’s Note: The province’s environment minister commented on this decision in a local radio interview by saying that the Canadians were “like pirates” who wanted to steal their bear, and alleged that the trip would kill him.] We were all very disappointed by their decision.
“It seems to me that the zoo is putting its pride ahead of Arturo’s well-being”◕It seems to me that the Mendoza authorities are putting their pride ahead of Arturo’s well-being – and may not want to lose an attraction that brings revenue to the zoo.◕◕Activists in Mendoza are not giving up the fight, however; they have collected more than 60,000 signatures and presented the petition to the local governor. My fingers are crossed, though I worry that nothing will change as long as the local authorities are in office.✦✦FRANCE 24 contacted Don Peterkin, the director of Winnipeg’s Assinoibe Park Conservancy. He replied with the following statement: “We have left our offer to accept Arturo open but have not had any recent communications with officials in Mendoza. As Arturo is ultimately their responsibility, we have to leave the next step, if any, to their discretion.”
✦✦VIDEOS:PLEASE WATCH THESE 2 VIDEOS OF THE CONDITIONS OF ARTURO THE POLAR BEAR IN MENDOZA ZOO
◕VIDEO:1 Published on Mar 26, 2013
Sadly we can observe the behavior and suffering from a life behind bars, “Arthur” is the last polar bear Argentine zoos, and hopefully so is to not have more of their kind to suffer captivity like.No species should be behind bars..
►http://youtu.be/A_HeschSqss
◕VIDEO:2 Mendoza Zoo, exhibition ‘POLAR BEAR’
repeated movements, permanent complaint, the closure put him insane?
►http://youtu.be/X_X-tZPT6Ys
✦✦Watch as these 2 videos of Arturo the Polar Bear IN WINTER:loneliness…!!
▬►http://youtu.be/_93JILqnQOM
▬►http://youtu.be/K7RhUGhnadg
—————————-
✦✦MENDOZA ZOO IS ALREADY KNOWN FOR THE VERY MISERABLE CONDITIONS OF THE ANIMALS..
This video, filmed by activists, shows several different animals in their pens at Mendoza zoo, including Arturo.
Published on Mar 20, 2013
The stark reality of the zoo..
March 2013 -. Images taken at the zoo in Mendoza, Argentina on 18 June 1903 are the first animals brought. From that time many other animals were taken there to be exhibited and used for commercial gain and environmentalists as if their lives do not import them or belonged to them. Zoos, contrary to what many people think, are centers where animals suffer and suffer all kinds of hardships.
The animals in zoos are caged for life by depriving them of the opportunity to develop their interests and needs. A Zero activist Speciesism imaged stress, anxiety, sadness and suffering zoochosis animals. The unfair reality of Arthur around more visible than other captive animals in the zoo, as the last polar bear Argentina. He presents a clear case of zoochosis. His life was all I had, the least that we should not take. * The zoocóticos animals have suffered mental damage due to captivity, showing obsessive, repetitive behaviors and abnormal.
If an animal has no control over his life, not being able to exercise or stimulate your mind begins to develop a series of repetitive or stereotyped ¨ ¨ behaviours. The zoochosis may also include self-mutilating behaviors. * The zoochosis was detected not only in captive animals in zoos, but also in animals used on farms, circuses, animal testing laboratories and other operating centers. If you care about animals, not go to the zoo. financies not slavery of animals
“The problem is with the press,” Nabil Sedki said on a recent afternoon, taking a deep drag on his cigarette as he settled into a giraffe-patterned armchair in his office. He was five days into the job. “The media fabricated the suicide.”
From ‘Occupy for Animals’ Please sign the petition below
The giraffe in question was a 3-year-old named Roqa, who, Sedki said, inadvertently hanged herself earlier this month after getting tangled in a wire inside her enclosure.
The state has launched three investigations — one purely forensic, another by the government’s official veterinary body and a third by a legal committee — “to see who will hang instead of the giraffe,” Sedki said with a wry laugh.
Zoos are prone to bad publicity, especially when something goes wrong. The government-run Giza Zoo, in the heart of Egypt’s chaotic capital, may be particularly susceptible, given the country’s floundering economy, the tumult of nearby political demonstrations and an overall poor track record in animal care.
In May, three black bears died in a single night under mysterious circumstances. Zoo authorities called it a bear “riot.” In 2007 and in 2008, local media reported that zoo-keepers were slaughtering the park’s camels for meat — to eat themselves, and to sell to other hungry Egyptians.
And this month, the independentAl-Masry Al-Youm newspaper reported that Roqa had committed suicide. The article went viral. (The same newspaper reported in August that the giraffes and other large animals at the zoo were so troubled by Egypt’s ongoing political unrest — especially the chants of protesters from the Muslim Brotherhood in a nearby public square — that they had been mulling suicide for a while.)
Petition by Occupy for Animals Luxembourg, Luxembourg
“Is there anyone who actually believes that this giraffe committed suicide?” Sedki asked. As he spoke, a fresh, stinging cloud of tear gas wafted in through an open doorway, and the thudding blasts of tear-gas cannons could be heard from the latest clashes between student protesters and police at neighbouring Cairo University.
The campus is just northwest of the 122-year-old zoo, the biggest and oldest of Egypt’s seven zoological parks. On its north flank, just outside the zoo’s main gate, is Nahda Square, which served as a permanent protest encampment for supporters of ousted Egyptian presidentMohamed Morsifor more than a month in the summer. Police used bullets and tear gas todisperse the protesters in August, killing scores of people.
When police fire tear gas at protesters, the irritating vapors inevitably make their way toward the animal enclosures, compelling zookeepers to wrap their faces in scarves on the worst of days. It has gotten to the animals, too, Sedki said.
“The sounds of the bullets and the tear gas affect the animals,” Sedki said. Some of the large animals, such as lions and hippos, have displayed “restlessness and tension,” he said.
Sedki said zoo authorities had moved some of the animals to different enclosures but found that they had few good options, given that all 80 acres of the zoo are bordered by roaring traffic and gritty urban sprawl.
For that same reason, Egyptians see the zoo as a rare — if dilapidated and underfunded — oasis of green. It costs about 70 cents (5 Egyptian pounds) to enter. Families bring picnics and set up camp for the entire day on the grassy medians. Couples stroll hand in hand, and bands of giggling teenagers roam.
“I know that in the West, going to the zoo is like going to a museum — you go to get knowledge,” Sedki said. “But here, they come to visit a garden, not a zoo.”
Animal rights activists — themselves a rare breed in Egypt — have long been concerned about conditions at Giza, which echo the nation’s widespread poverty and bureaucratic failings after decades of authoritarianism and turmoil.
“This is not a zoo,” said Mona Khalil, a founder of the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals, which runs two shelters and provides free veterinary care to poor farmers on Cairo’s outskirts. “This is hell for animals.”
Many of the zoo’s employees earn less than $60 a month, activists say, and have little experience or training and even less incentive to protect the animals they care for. Instead, the employees follow visitors over the zoo’s muddy and potholed paths, offering scattered “facts” about the animals’ daily lives or an opportunity to get closer to them — in the hope that it will yield tips.
On a recent afternoon, some keepers touted the chance to hold a lion cub — or, if the visitor would prefer it, a monkey or a baby crocodile — for the equivalent of about $3.60.
Adult lions, cramped in iron-barred cages that resembled the circus pens of an earlier era, crunched on animal carcasses, as visitors used their cellphones to take pictures. Hippos and pelicans drifted through murky water. And a sickly black bear watched as a pair of stray cats hunched over its food dish.
“Anyone want a picture with a baby lion? Anyone want a picture with a baby lion?” an employee droned as he stood next to a row of cages, a camera around his neck.
Another zoo-keeper gestured toward a rhinoceros that was nosing around in the shade of some trees. “Her husband died six months ago,” the keeper said in a cheerful, casual tone. “She killed him with her horn.” Without further explanation, the keeper quickly walked away.
No one in the zoo’s administrative office was quite sure how many animals are kept on the premises. Staff members searched through files in the high-ceilinged administrative headquarters — a building full of binders, and apparently devoid of computers — but were able to find figures only from 2009: 78 species of mammals, 82 species of birds and 26 species of reptiles — for a total of 4,631 individual animals. Of those, about “forty-something” are lions, Sedki said.
Chained elephant – Giza Zoo – August 2012
Published on 24 Aug 2012 – Investigation conducted by Hatem Moushir, 3 August 2012 – in Giza Zoo
In 2010, the zoo began to separate most of its forty-something lions by sex — an effort to stem the sky-rocketing population. Meat is pricey, and space is limited.
To cope, many of the big cats are packed two per cage. They eat mostly donkey carcasses, zoo-keepers said, and they “fast” one day a week.
Black in the Giza Zoo 09/21/2012 – Living conditions of Lions
Published on 22 Sep 2,012 – Part of investigation conducted by Hatem Moushir, 21 September 2012 – in Giza Zoo
News comments:– Felinis Wrote – 12/18/2013 6:27 PM GMT
Kabul, Afganistan: Marjan the lion was injured in 1994 when a visitor tried to impress his friends by climbing into his den. When the animal’s mate attacked and killed him, the man’s brother came to the zoo the next day and threw a grenade at Marjan in revenge. The explosion blinded him, broke his jaw and destroyed seven teeth.
The 25 year-old beast who was half-blind, lame and almost toothless died of old age in 2002 only weeks after an international animal rescue mission arrived to help him.
At another mid-east zoo four animals died after being fed tobacco by visitors.
Giza Zoo – August 2012
Listen to an interview on Wildtime RadioAnimal rights activist Dina Zulfikar talked to WILD TIME RADIO about the zoos, CITES, the lack of green space in their country, and more.
Sara Abou Bakr / May 11, 2013 “Calling all animal activists:-“
Reports on the news stated that the three female bears were fighting over a male.
Two days later, the Al-Watan newspaper broke the story; the three bears died because of a sedative overdose, leading to two falling over and breaking several bones, while the remaining one drowned.
A photo of a starving lioness at Alexandria Zoo ignited anger last August, gaining international scrutiny from animal activists. The zoo manager assured them the case was under control. A day later, the lioness died.
Similar stories of the negligence of the seven governmental zoos in Egypt can be easily dug up. One only has to walk through one of them to see the abuse; malnourished lions, hippos swimming in filthy ponds, wild dogs injured and left untreated, seals that perform tricks on command, brown bears spoon-fed and petted by visitors
You do not have to be a specialist to see the abuse first-hand.
Giza Zoo, because it is located in the capital, gets the lion’s share of media attention, followed by Alexandria Zoo. The conditions of the other governmental zoos in Beni Suef, Fayoum, Kafr El-Sheikh, Mansoura, and Tanta are even worse. Puny and injured animals suffering from malnourishment is a major concern.
Gaza is another place you wouldn’t necessarily think of having a zoo. In recent years the Palestinian city has suffered from Israeli blockades and internal conflicts, and its zoo hasn’t fared much better. Today it houses two lions, a few monkeys, some birds, rabbits, cats, dogs and two fake zebras: donkeys painted with black and white stripes (pictured).
The zoo once had two real zebras in its collection, but they died of malnutrition during the Israel-Hamas war, when there was actual fighting within the zoo itself. Zoo officials later tried to replace the zebras, but finally opted for painted donkeys due to limited funds.
Donkeys painted to look like Zebra:-http://www.animals-zone.com/saddest-zoos-world
Founded in 1891, the Giza Zoo in Cairo, Egypt, was once among the best zoos in Africa. But today it’s a shell of its former glory, expelled from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2004 after failing an inspection. WAZA director Peter Dollinger wouldn’t tell Reuters in 2008 why exactly the zoo was expelled, saying only that “There were things that were not acceptable.”
Zookeepers reportedly augment their salaries by charging patrons to enter the cages with the animals, and two men broke into the zoo in 2007, killing two camels. Dozens of birds died from avian flu in 2006, and more than 500 were slaughtered to stem the outbreak. According to the Global Post, zoo workers also inhumanely killed two gorillas in 2004 thought to be infected with the Ebola virus.
“Few words are needed to describe this zoo, dirty, overcrowded, dilapidated; hell on earth for it’s poor residents. Many need moving to specialist zoo’s who can undo the harm caused at this disgusting hovel. There are rumours that meat brought in for the animals is shared amongst the staff to take home either for themselves or to sell on; that would account for the animals being so thin! Also talk of wildlife trafficking as some animals have gone missing in the past!
“Even the Mayor, although disgusted with the zoo, seems to have her hands tied. I have tried to cover as many stories as possible, so that you may read at your leisure. Although I found nothing concrete about the welfare of the animals until I came across this Facebook site:-Surabaya Zoo Animal Welfare Action – Cee4life
I feel slightly relieved, now that I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel! Now Surabaya Zoo Animal Welfare Action – Cee4lifeare involved, hopefully things will start to change for the better for the remaining animals, along with the zoo management planning updates to more cages etc.
A Sumatran tigerat Surabaya Zoo inSurabaya, East Java, died on early Thursday after suffering digestive and respiratory problems for two years.
The zoo’s curator, Penta, said that Rosek, a 13-year-old Sumatran tiger, was founddead in its cage by a zookeeper. “We had been trying to treat Rosek and gave it enzymes for digestion. We also took the animal outside its cage for a walk and some sun,” Penta told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
He said Surabaya Zoo now had only 10 Sumatran tigers, seven of which were females. One female tiger is currently undergoing treatment for an illness similar to that of Rosek. “Her name is Melani, see her picture below, it’s hard to believe a tiger in a zoo, could be left to get so bad!”
Internal conflict has plagued Surabaya Zoo since 1998 and peaked in 2007, when a number of animals died allegedly due to poor treatment. On Sept.8, 2012, Santi, a white tiger, died due to paralysis. “The video below is of a white tiger”
Data show that almost 250 animals at Surabaya Zoo died in 2011, including a mountain goat that suffered digestive problems.
An autopsy found plastic bags in its stomach. The zoo’s veterinary team also found 25 stones in the stomach of a dead crocodile.
From June to August 2010, 20 animals died at the zoo, including a Sumatran tiger and 13 baby komodo dragons. Most of the animals died from pneumonia, dehydration caused by diarrhoea and malnutrition, while other problems included a dirty and poor environment and lack of nutritious food. (asw/ebf)
Melani was born at the Surabaya Zoo 15 years ago and has been suffering from an undiagnosed digestive disorder for the past five years. Her weight has dropped to less than 60 kilograms (132 pounds), down from 75 kilograms and below the normal range of 75-110 kilograms. Her eyes look sunken and bones can be seen beneath her skin. “See the video below!”
Monday, April 15, 2013 photo, a keeper tries to feed Melani, a 15-year-old female Sumatran tiger that has been suffering from an undiagnosed digestive disorder for the past five years, in her cage at Surabaya Zoo in Surabaya, Indonesia. The emaciated female Sumatran tiger was in critical condition at Indonesia’s largest zoo Wednesday and may have to be put down after another rare tiger died at the problem-plagued facility earlier this month. (AP Photo)
“I think euthanasia is the best option to end her suffering because it is difficult to be cured,” said Tony Sumampouw, chairman of Indonesia’s zoo association, who was appointed to oversee the Surabaya Zoo after the government took control of it in 2010.
He added that Melani’s illness is likely the result of mismanagement and poor nutrition since she was young.
Melani is one of 10 Sumatran tigers — the world’s most critically endangered tiger subspecies — left in the zoo following the death two weeks ago of Rozek, a 13-year-old male. He suffered similar gastrointestinal problems for four years.
Melani has now been transferred
The zoo’s remaining Sumatran tigers, which are part of a breeding program, are kept in dirty, cramped cages along with 10 Bengal tigers. All appear healthy, but remain at great risk, Sumampouw said.
Chaerul Saleh, the WWF wildlife group’s campaign coordinator on endangered species protection, said he hopes the latest tiger cases will force government and zoo authorities to do more to safeguard the animals. Strong action is needed to change the culture of neglect and corruption within the facility, he said.
The zoo has been plagued by uncontrolled breeding, a lack of funding for general animal welfare and suspicions that staff members may be involved in illegal wildlife trafficking.
A Surabaya Zoo health worker checks the pulse of a sick 35-year-old female elephant named Fitri, which was suffering from swollen joints in her leg Picture: AFP/Gett
Questioned in Berlin, Surabaya Mayor Ashamed of Zoo
TEMPO.CO, Surabaya – Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharini received many questions about the management conflict in Surabaya Zoo (KBS) when she visited Berlin a few months ago. As the result of the continuing conflicts, some animals died and abandoned. “I was truly ashamed when they highlighted KBS. I could not do anything,”
Risma could only explain that the management of the Zoo is conducted by the Ministry of Forestry and not her authority. “They asked, how does your country manage this? I am honestly ashamed at the time,” said Risma.
Melani the Sumatran tiger heaves herself painfully to her feet, walks to the fence and is hand-fed a few pieces of chicken cut into small chunks. She’s skin and bone, but she eats less than a child might before returning to chew, like a sick domestic cat, on the grass.
There are less than 400 of Melani’s kind still roaming the dwindling forests of Sumatra, and soon this zoo-bound specimen will also be dead, after spending most of her life in squalor in Surabaya Zoo.
She suffers from an unidentified wasting disease which means her food, even when it’s minced, passes through her, almost entirely undigested.
The Surabaya Zoo is a nightmare, plagued by uncontrolled breeding, a lack of funding for general animal welfare & staff are involved in illegal wildlife trafficking.
Zookeepers have been taking meat meant for the tigers and selling it in the local market. The tigers are emaciated & the 180 pelicans packed so tightly they cannot unfurl their wings without hitting a neighbour.
Last week, a giraffe died with a beachball-sized wad of plastic food wrappers in its belly. “This could be the white tiger that has already passed away; a blessing I think, seeing the state she was in”
FANTASTIC NEWS – MELANI. Not long ago, I have been informed by Zoos and Aquaria and Taman Safari, Indonesia, that the beautiful tigress Melani, has been safety transported and arrived at Taman Safari.
She is eating well, however her front and lower K9’s are looking quite rotten. Her demeanour is wonderful and she is now currently under going further veterinary testing. This is Melani when she arrived hours ago at Taman Safari.
On a side note, we understand that people are very passionate about this case, however please DO NOT write abusive or threatening letters to either Zoos and Aquaria or Taman Safari, as these are NOT the people who have had control over Surabaya Zoo.
In any case, if you write, please keep your language polite, however instead of cluttering up the good peoples email boxs with your demands, please work together in a positive way. As you can see, Melani is now getting the correct care she needs, she is safe and in the best hands now.
Please Read Additional News on the condition of the Surabaya Zoo & it’s animals:
In this photograph taken on March 1, 2012, Surabaya Zoo personnel attend to a 30-year-old ailing giraffe named Kliwon. The last remaining giraffe in the zoo died with 20 kilograms of plastic found in its stomach, the latest in a string of unusual animal deaths at the country’s biggest zoo. Picture: JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP/Getty Images
49 Animals Transferred From Surabaya Zoo – At last some are rescued (they call it transferred)
TEMPO.CO, Banyuwangi – As many as 49 animal collections from Surabaya Zoo (KBS) were transferred to Mirah Fantasia, Banyuwangi. The transferred animals include elephants, orang utans, iguanas, hippos, bekantans, gazelles, and some other mammals and birds.
From Surabaya, the animals were transferred by trucks to Mirah Fantasia. Rahmat Suharta, the Chief of Health Department from Surabaya Zoo, said that some of the animals must be transferred because KBS has been overloaded.
Rahmat also informed that Mirah Fantasia has already gained a conservation center operational license from the Natural Resources Conservation Office.
Ketut Suwardika, Mirah Fantasia Deputy Director, expected that the new collections will increase the number of visitors.
A baby elephant pulls against the chains secured around its legs as it moves around a cramped, concrete cell. One of the keepers tells Sumampau the chains are used to train the young elephant to walk.
Tony Sumampau was brought in by the Indonesian government to lead a temporary team to improve conditions when it took over the privately run zoo in 2010. He now spends two days a week trying to teach zoo staff how to care for animals kept in cramped and unsanitary living conditions for far too long.
Before Sumampau arrived, about 25 of the zoo’s 4,000 animals died each month, many of them prematurely, from disease and neglect. Among them was a cheetah, a gift from South Africa’s President, whose leg was bitten off by a tiger and later died.
Poor sanitation and uncontrolled breeding also remain serious challenges for the zoo.
Lutvi Achmad, the head of the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Center, who works with Sumampau, told CNN, “This overpopulation has been going on for so long, there’s inbreeding and for sure this won’t be a good thing for the Surabaya Zoo.”
The biggest problem Sumampau says is the lack of understanding of animal welfare and conservation. He is slowly training the zoo’s 70 keepers but faces resistance from some who have worked in the zoo for years, even decades.
Read the following horror stories regarding Surabaya Zoo:-
Surabaya Zoo scandal may prompt OZ boycott | The Jakarta Post:-Mar 17, 2012 … The poor treatment of animals at Surabaya Zoo may lead some Australian tour operators to boycott trips to East Java, according to a local …www.thejakartapost.com/…/surabaya–zoo-scandal-may-prompt-oz-boycott. html
Javanese bull dies at Surabaya Zoo | The Jakarta Post:- Mar 16, 2012 … A male Javanese bull, or banteng, named Leo, was found dead on Thursday afternoon inside of his pen inSurabaya Zoo in East Java after he …www.thejakartapost.com/…/javanese-bull-dies-surabaya–zoo.html
Letter: Indonesia’s zoos | The Jakarta Post:-Apr 12, 2012 … In response to the news and articles published by The Jakarta Post about Surabaya Zoo and “The State of The Ark: Zoos in Indonesia”, (March …www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/…/letter-indonesia-s-zoos.html
Holy Morrisey | The Jakarta Post:-May 20, 2012 … Please take immediate action to close the Surabaya Zoo and transfer its animals to more suitable environments,” the letter, made available to...www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/20/holy-morrisey.html
Morrissey delivers charming show in Jakarta | The Jakarta Post:-May 11, 2012… requesting the latter to take action on a notorious zoo in East Java. … immediate action to close the decrepit Surabaya Zoo and transfer its …www.thejakartapost.com/…/morrissey-delivers-charming-show-jakarta.html
Surabaya Zoo – Joining Forces – Cee4life has joined forces with Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) to help aid the animals of Surabaya Zoo. We are very happy and excited to have connected with JAAN. Together we can do extraordinary things ~ Sybelle
Unfortunately, whilst writing this (over several days), I have just found out more tragic news from the above site. Beno the black bear suffering from a terrible skin condition & or cancer, has sadly passed away.
R.I.P Beno, I hope you have now found the freedom & health, that was so cruelly denied you whilst caged up at Surabaya zoo!
Although the above is very sombre news indeed, I am just thankful thatSurabaya Zoo Animal Welfare Action – Cee4lifehave got involved. If anyone can kick their ass…it will be Sybelle!!
Asian Animal Protection Network
Animal Guardians
Animal People
Animals Asia Foundation
Animal Concerns Research & Education
Society
Humane Society International
Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society
International Animal Rescue
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (UK)
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, Hong Kong
World Society for the Protection of
Animals
Crocodile approaches cat at water’s edge of reptile enclosure at zoo
Cat hisses at crocodile and swats it twice causing it to retreat underwater
When a domestic cat came face to face with a crocodile it seemed the feline was about to meet a grisly end.
The hapless ginger and white cat found its way into the crocodile enclosure at a zoo in Jaipur, India,
As one reptile glided up to the animal at the water’s edge onlookers tried unsuccessfully to scare the moggy away.
The domestic cat too a swipe at the snout of the formidable predator as it approached in the crocodile enclosure
But if the crocodile thought feeding time had come early and the cat would be its helpless victim, it had underestimated the fearsome feline.
As the croc poised to snap up the unusual prey in its jaws, the cat finally spotted the danger in the water to the relief of zoo-goers who assumed it would flee.
Instead it hissed at the crocodile and swiped out with its paw not once, but twice, scratching the croc on the snout.
The crocodile, perhaps not used to such feisty prey gave up and retreated back into the water.
The battle was filmed by Manu Chaudhary, 25, and her husband Vishal, 26, fromSouthall, Middlesex, who were celebrating their first wedding anniversary by taking in the sights of India.
Mr Chaudhary, who lives in New Delhi, India, said: ‘While we were at the crocodile section we realised a cat had got in and was at the edge of the crocodile pond.
‘We initially thought the cat was under the impression that it was a rat in the pond.
‘When the crocodile came up in the water we felt sure we were witnessing the last minutes of her life.
‘We couldn’t believe it though when the cat daringly warned the crocodile and then fearlessly slapped it twice.
‘I was just screaming: “Oh my God, oh my God”. We were amazed at what we had seen.’
In the video the couple can be heard crying: ‘She’s fighting, oh wow, that’s superb. Look at it!‘ The cat is seen scratching the crocodile before sauntering off
GHARIAL CROCODILES
Gharial crocodiles, also known as fish-eating crocodiles, are one of three kinds which are native to India.
When a domestic cat came face to face with a crocodile it seemed the feline was about to meet a grisly end. The hapless ginger and white cat found its way into the crocodile enclosure at a zoo in Jaipur, India. As one reptile glided up to the animal at the water’s edge onlookers tried unsuccessfully to scare the moggy away.
The seven-month old cub that was abandoned by her mother days after her birth in July; died on Wednesday.
Preliminary investigations have revealed the cub Chamundi died due to acute
Asiatic Lion
hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, executive director of the zoo B P Ravi said.
According to post mortem report released by the zoo, Chamundi was normal on Tuesday and consumed food in the evening. Early in the morning, she vomited and died by 8.45 am. She was weak and anaemic too.
Chamundi was the first Asiatic lion born at the zoo and struggled really hard for three months to survive. Though the zoo has successfully hand-reared other species, it could not save the cub which was housed at the zoo hospital since her birth.
Born to Gowri and Shankara, who arrived from the Sakkarbaug Zoo in Gujarat in 2010, on July 29 Chamundi was abandoned by her mother within two days. At first, it appeared the lion and lioness were getting used to the job of rearing their first offspring in captivity, but they abandoned the cub. Experts said lion cubs are usually rejected by the mother. Shankar was six and Gowri five when they sired Chamundi.
The cub was removed from the enclosure and put into holding room at the zoo hospital even as the Zoo Authority of Karnatakacontacted the Sakkarbaug Zoo to get experts advice. The zoo authorities were told that survival of hand-fed lion cub are slim, but Chamundi pulled it off managing to intake milk initially and later switched to solid food by mid-November.
The zoo was feeding her chicken and soup to build immunity. Besides, a vet was assigned to monitor her, her holding room sanitized and temperature regulated. Except one animal keeper, no other staff was allowed near the cub to avoid her getting infected.
Mysore zoo is the only facility in Karnataka to houseAsiatic lions, thanks to efforts by former cricketer Anil Kumble, who is co-vice chairman of State Board for Wildlife Board.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
You can find out more about me & this blog by reading "ABOUT THIS BLOG" on the menu (when i finish it) lol
PLEASE NOTE.....
Not all of my posts will be current news, or even about animal abuse! I do like to share other animal news, uplifting stories or videos; some that are funny or just touch the heart!
If I have anything to say on any post, you will see it in bold blue writing. I try to remain a lady, but it's hard to contain my anger & emotions at the some of the stories I post; I don’t have a heart of stone, tears stain many articles I write!
Lastly, my apologies for any errors; I am learning whilst posting, so if you find anything that doesn't work or a broken link, sorry, I'm only human!!!!
ABOUT THESE POSTS
I would just like to make readers aware, that I search for stories on the internet; regards animal abuse etc. I copy stories etc. from the internet; assuming these stories are correct at time of publishing. Having said that, sometimes the press get it wrong! So I just want to add that at the time of me posting a news story, I presume all the facts seem present & correct.
Please note....all people mentioned in this blog, are presumed innocent, until proven otherwise, in a court of law.
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Flag Counter Added May 2012
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As 99% of my page is animal related; anyone not in the above group of friends; will only see a limited amount of posts!!
DUE TO ANIMAL HATERS...I WILL ONLY ADD PEOPLE WHO CAN PROVE WHO THEY ARE via Facebook, Wordpress, Twitter etc. & WHO HAVE A GENUINE INTEREST IN ANIMAL WELFARE... i.e. if your Facebook page has absolutely nothing to do with animals, I see no point in joining my page. My Facebook is solely for animal welfare, I am not interested in playing games etc. I don't mean to sound rude but I am not interested in the amount of friends I have, its the quality of those friends that count.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND REQUESTS FOR YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN. I do not want anyone to be upset by graphic images etc.
My aim is to educate & raise awareness to the horrors animals face, at the hands of humans, every day, around the world!!
We can not hope to achieve better laws, to protect animals, unless we unite as one, to speak up for those who are voiceless!!
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DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE 
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