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!
“As a member Country of the EU ( Croatia joined only last July 2013 ) I have to ask why this filthy, decaying & pitiful excuse of a zoo; has been allowed to have its doors open for so long???”
Split, Croatia’s second largest city, is situated on the Adriatic coastline and is one of the country’s most popular vacation destinations thanks to its location and historic monuments, some of which date back to the Roman times.
While tourists have often been satisfied with their visit to Split, one particular attraction – the Split Zoo – has left many visitors disturbed.
A number of low-level reviews have been left about the unaccredited zoo onTripAdvisor, with one visitor stating, “This is by far the worst zoo I have ever seen … The bears had … feces everywhere … and the food being given to the animals looked like it was completely rotten … Someone please shut this place down and send the animals somewhere else!!!”
Another reviewerreported, “The zoo in Split is located at the very top of the Marjan Hill and can be reached by foot from the old town in about 20 – 30 minutes. Unfortunately, on the top of the hill, you will find a very sad place and tears may easily wet your eyes.”
TripAdvisor
For years, animal protection groups in Croatia have been trying their best to shut this zoo down, deemed the “worst zoo in the world” by tourists for its poor care of animals and small, dirty enclosures.
Exotic species should be moved elsewhere, and Marjan establish a reserve of domestic animals.
Split Zoo in Split for years was known only by the poor: astounded tourists to sites of Split, the garden is described as the worst memory of your vacation, and local activists persistently struggle to re-zoned area.
Recently all shocked by the news that Tiger Demetrius limp, and that nothing is being done to address the situation. In addition, they say that all they were in the garden, animals makes strange noises. After some time, the problem with the big cat’s paw is resolved, but strangely voting left. Combined with the generally depressed impression in the garden, say activists, tiger voting sounds really painful.
Split is better not to have any zoo than this which violate all the rules, and the animals are kept in really awful conditions – says Srdjan Marinić, president of the Society “Marjan”, which this week sent a request to the Veterinary Inspection to monitor the keeping of animals and health conditions in the zoo … Read the full article at: http://www.jutarnji.hr/1168994 (Vojko Basic / Getty)
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.
Most people go to circuses, zoos, or marine parks because they “love animals” and have no idea what happens behind the scenes or how unnatural it is for animals to be captured, confined, and forced to perform for our entertainment.
Viewer Discretion Advised
Read
Undercover investigations have shown that elephants, tigers, and other animals on the road with Ringling Bros. and other circuses are electro-shocked, beaten with long metal rods called “bullhooks,” and denied proper veterinary care. Animals used in circuses spend most of their lives chained inside boxcars and never get to live freely with other animals, as they would in the wild.
Life in a zoo isn’t much better: Animals often live in barren enclosures—hundreds of times smaller than their homes in the wild. To make money, zoos breed animals in order to have babies to showcase, and sometimes older or less popular animals are even shipped off and replaced with cuter ones.
Even under the best of circumstances at the best of zoos, captivity cannot begin to replicate wild animals’ habitats. Animals are often prevented from doing most of the things that are natural and important to them, such as running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a partner, and being with others of their own kind.
Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to interfere with animals and keep them locked up in captivity, where they are bored, cramped, lonely, deprived of all control over their lives, and far from their natural homes.
Similarly, marine parks like SeaWorld give orcas and dolphins nothing more than what is essentially a concrete bathtub to live in. Forced to perform for large, noisy crowds, orcas become frustrated, bored, and aggressive.
If zoos, circuses like Ringling Bros., and marine parks like SeaWorld really cared about animals, they would let them live freely in the wild and wouldn’t force them to suffer for profit. You can show these industries that YOU care about animals by never purchasing a ticket to a zoo, a marine park, or a circus that uses animals and by spreading the word to your friends and family
( If this petition is launched & you love animals; please don’t sign it)
The promoter of what is being billed as “the last animal circus” in Malta is planning to launch a petition in favour of the genre.
Pressure to ban animal circuses from the island has grown over the years. Last summer an overwhelming 94 per cent of those who took part in a public consultation exercise said they believe all animals should be banned from circuses.
Animal rights activists have staged repeated protests arguing that animals are often beaten during the training process.
And in the last Budget it was announced that a White Paper would be issued on banning circus animals.
Local circus organisers have always insisted that the animals they use in their shows are not ill-treated.
In the face of this trend, two circuses – an animal and a marine one – will be set up in Malta in the coming weeks.
The Viviana Orfei circus, featuring tigers, horses, hippos, zebras, camels and ostriches, among others, is at Gżira this weekend. Its promoter, Silvio Zammit, said in a statement that this was the last opportunity to see an animal circus in Malta.
However, on Facebook he said a petition would soon be launched in favour of animal circuses, in reply to one person who thought they had already been banned.
In his statement he said the animals were born on the circus and formed part of the circus family. Animal cruelty, he added, was totally condemnable.
Animal circuses are accompanied by controversy every time they come to Malta at Christmas time.
But this year’s circus at Gżira came with a twist after two female tigers gave birth to six cubs on their way to Malta.
The cute twist is unlikely to fend off criticism from animal lovers who feel animal circuses are wrong. But as the cubs whine under the watchful eye of their mothers the Viviana Orfei circus owners insist the birth of the cubs is proof of the good care they give animals.
Born in captivity, the owners argue the animals know no better. “They are part of our family,” they insist.
A 72-year-old man was killed by three tigers in a closed-down zoo in northern Italy after he entered the animals’ cage to feed them, according to media reports.
Tigers relax in their enclosure at the private park in Pinerolo near Turin Photo: EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MARCO
The zoo, in the mountainous area of Pinerolo near Turin, was closed due to financial difficulties in 2009 and its owners had not managed to relocate nine tigers and one leopard kept there, the Corriere della Sera daily reported.
The tigers attacked the zoo’s caretaker suddenly as he was feeding them, and his wife raised the alarm, state broadcasterRAI said. Emergency services confirmed his death at the scene
Locals had previously expressed concerns about the tigers, which were not sterilised and recently had cubs.
“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
That may sound like the beginning of a joke, but in this case, it’s just the start of an fascinating story. Cats are known for their innate curiosity, and an endangered Bengal tiger in India proved to be no exception.
In April, keepers at India’s Nandankanan Zoodiscovered that the wild male tiger had left the forest and — somehow — entered the zoo’s enclosed grounds. The zoo staff had no ideahow the tiger had gotten in, but it didn’t take long to figure out why. By all indications, the lovestruck kitty was attracted to the zoo’s female tiger, which, unsurprisingly, lives in an enclosure.
Concerned by the presence of a dangerous animal wandering the grounds, the zoo prepared a twenty-person team to capture the wild cat before he could attack anyone. However, before the plan was implemented, zookeepers tried a wild idea: opening the female’s cage door.
Amazingly, the wild tiger strolled right in, happy to meet his potential new mate. The zoo staff then found themselves with a new problem on their hands: what to do with the second tiger. The cat, however, had no such worry.
For a month, he made himself at home, availing himself to the free food, shade and sedentary lifestyle that comes with being a captive animal.
But then he apparently got bored.
Tired of life in a cage, the tiger opted to leave the zoo as suddenly as he arrived. Using the same ninja skills that got him into the zoo, he broke out — a feat that should have been impossible. The cat escaped by scaling the zoo’s two-story security wall, an exit that was mostly caught on video, until, like any good escape artist, the tiger severed the camera’s wiring.
“The Central Zoo Authority guidelines prescribe a 16-foot height for enclosure wall, but this enclosure wall was higher,” Chief Wildlife Warden, J D Sharma, told the New Indian Express. “The tiger apparently climbed the walls using the angle irons fitted at 8 feet and 16 feet height to support the structure. There is enough evidence of it walking on top of the wall.”
As for the animal’s current whereabouts, locals say the tiger hasn’t been seen since its prison break, although they believe he may still be in the nearby forests.
For many, the day signifies hope – a new season, a fresh start, a promise of a good year. Millions of fans from all over the nation flock to stadiums to cheer on their favorite baseball heroes. Many of these fans are children who look up to the athletes as role models and emulate their behaviors.
Undoubtedly, the Tigers, like so many other animal enthusiasts in the U.S., did not realize that cub photo ops represent the very opposite of “hope”.
Not only do the photos send the wrong message that handling a wild big cat and treating it like a “pet” is an acceptable thing to do, and frighteningly, despite the fact that 17 adults and 5 children in the U.S. have been killed and nearly 300 other people have been injured by captive big cats within recent years, many people added comments to the Facebook posting that express enthusiasm for owning a tiger, but these photo op’s also represent less than a hopeful situation for the poor cub.
After all, he was brought to the ballpark by Dade City‘s Wild Things Zoo, a private zoo that shamefully allows the public to swim, bottle feed and cuddle with tiger cubs and has repeatedly been cited by theUSDA due to poor veterinary care, improper cub handling, and unacceptable fencing, among other disturbing issues.
Dozens of U.S. traveling zoos and roadside exhibitors profit from charging the public a fee to pet and pose with tiger cubs and other large big cats.
People don’t realize when they patronize these facilities that they are contributing to a huge public safety and animal welfare problem that exists in the U.S. today.
After the cubs grow too big and dangerous for handling, all too often they could be kept in someone’s backyard; sent to aroadside zoo; bred incessantly to further fuel the cub handling trade, or could even be killed.
In one notorious incident of severe cruelty, investigators found more than 90 dead tigers, including 58 cubs stuffed into freezers, on the property a self-professed animal “rescuer” who charged admission for people to visit the tigers.
This is why passing theBig CatsandPublic SafetyProtection Act – a nationwide ban on private big cat ownership and breeding that will soon been reintroduced in Congress-is so important.
The Detroit tigers now have a key opportunity to use their national voice to turn this around and pledge that they will, in the future, choose not to pose with tiger cubs because they would never knowingly want to support an industry that thrives off the exploitation of big cats.
This would be a most appropriate way to kick off a season of hope. -TC
“WTF…first it’s lions, now it’s crocodiles…who are the real monsters here? It seems some, REPEAT some, Chinese knob heads are not happy unless they are seeing an animal suffer, or watching a live animal be fed upon by lions kept at such zoos in China. Your seriously telling me that if zoo staff were around, they would stop these stupid MF’s from having their fun…I doubt it. What I do know is that the wrong animals are behind bars…these animals are free; to go kill other animals that don’t satisfy them!!”
“Please note, go to the link at the end to sign petitions to protect wildlife.”
At best, zoos are institutions of conservation and wildlife education. At worst, they’re abusive prisons that exploit wildlife to make money.
But this tale of zoo cruelty out of China is beyond the pale—recently, visitors to a Shenzhen zoo killed nine crocodiles by throwing rocks and garbage into their exhibit.
Who are the real monsters??
The incident apparently stemmed from visitors’ dissatisfaction with the hibernating crocodiles. Trying to get the reptiles to move, guests began yelling and spitting at the animals. This behaviour quickly escalated into more extreme abuse: trash, stones and random objects were thrown at the sleeping crocodiles.
The zoo’s staff maintains that it was unable to stop people from hurling things into the crocodile enclosure. It was only later, when zoo-keepers went to clean the garbage out of the exhibit, that they discovered nine of the 11 crocodiles were dead.
While a violent crowd may seem out of zoo-keepers control, Chinese zoos have faced accusations of negligence before. It seems unlikely that the zoo officials were completely powerless to protect the crocodiles. Even if they were, they could have checked on the animals sooner rather than later—potentially saving some crocodiles from death.
Unfortunately this is not the first time a Chinese zoo has come under fire for careless staff or animal cruelty.
A few days ago visitors to the Hangzhou Zoo threw snowballsat the zoo’s lions; there was no zoo staff present to stop the crowd.
Two years ago the Animals Asia Foundation published a report chronicling the horrible conditions and untrained staff found at many Chinese zoos.
One of the worst offences was forcing zoo animals to perform tricks using whips and metal hooks to direct them. The report says: “The appalling treatment of many animals by performance staff demonstrates a lack of compassion and respect for animals.
Allowing the public to view animals being forced to behave unnaturally, and in many cases being beaten into performing, conveys the message that it is acceptable to dominate and harm animals in the name of entertainment.” Chinese zoos have also been accused of live-feeding, which involves starving predatory animals and having them stalk live prey to entertain visitors.
Take Action:-visit the link below to sign petitions to protect wildlife.
Hundreds of exotic animals at Naples zoo are facing starvation, as keepers declare a state of emergency with food supplies set to run out in 48 hours.
Zoo keepers at the compound in the southern Italian city, said within two days hay, fruit and all other food will be finished, leaving the 300 tigers, giraffes, elephants and other animals, high and dry.
Italy‘s dwindling economy has hit the once-famous zoo hard, leading its managers to declare bankruptcy in 2011.
Emergency administrators stepped in to care for the animals but their tenure is set to end on January 31. Now if funds for more food are not found within 48 hours, the zoo’s prize exhibits including big cats and other rare exotic animals will starve to death, keepers said.
The 70 staff will also be made redundant, if there are no new owners by Wednesday, he said.
Investment company Clear Leisure has made an offer to buy the company but the bankruptcy court have not so far approved the offer. Previous offers have failed to meet the criteria.
A union representative told the Italian news agency ANSA: ‘There are only a few days left for both us and the animals. We would like to know why it has got to this point and mostly, what is going to be done,‘
‘If no solution is found, we are going to be thrown out and the animals will die of hunger’.
Residents of the zoo include leopards, brown bears, elephants, zebras, ostriches, antelopes and tigers, as well as a petting zoo containing farm animals.
Among its scientific achievements are the first birth in captivity of the saltarupeOreotragus oreotragus vulture. It was also the keeper of the first Italian antelope, giraffe, and first black rhinoceros in Europe.
The zoo, which opened in 1949, was run alongside Italy’s oldest theme park, originally created as Naples‘ answer to Disneyland.
In its heyday of the 1970s Edenlandia was considered the best in the country. It also includes a greyhound track and outdoor cinema.
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.
Error: Please make sure the Twitter account is public.
Flag Counter Added May 2012
Face Book – Please Take Notice
For anyone wishing to connect to me via my Facebook page...PLEASE NOTE, ONLY PEOPLE I ADD AS ANIMAL ADVOCATES CAN SEE MY WHOLE PAGE...I do this out of respect for those friends I have who do not wish to see graphic images, videos or links of animal abuse!
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!!
.
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 
You must be logged in to post a comment.