CAPTIVE ZOO ANIMALS

Orana Park big cat encounters challenged

Following in the footsteps of Wellington Zoo's personal encounters with cheetahs, Christchurch's Orana Park has begun inviting people into some of their big cat enclosures. Visitors can now get to experience the zoo's pair of Sumatran tigers, Sendiri and Dumai as well as their cheetahs Gizmo and Gemma. Visitors pay for either the experience of handling and patting the animals or entering the big cats's den area so they can view the animals from behind a mesh fence.

In an article in the Christchurch Press, Orana Park chief executive Lynn Anderson cites conservation as the main motivation for launching their new close encounter experiences. Meanwhile, SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek said these encounters are an accident waiting to happen.

"If something went wrong and an animal became frightened or if something unexpected were to happen the animal could only flee or attack," he said.

Hans said SAFE did not agree with the view asserted by the zoo that allowing people to have direct contact with the animals would help raise awareness of the plight of that species.

"Do you have to pat the animal to understand how it lives in the wild? It is little more than a money-making exercise. SAFE is seeing animals being treated more and more as something commercial."

Wellington Zoo under scrutiny

Wellington Zoo continues to come under scrutiny. Firstly it was from SAFE condemning the zoo's foolish rent-a-cheetah programme. Then came the whistle-blowing staff alleging unprovoked animal attacks, animal abuse and poor management. Finally, the zoo's cheetah programme was further criticised by two international zoo experts. SAFE has managed to attract considerable media attention as a result, putting the zoo further under the spotlight.

The zoo's rent-a-cheetah programme allows the cheetahs to be released and attend public events such as store openings and private functions. The zoo charges around $2,500 per visit and claims that the visits have educational and conservation values. "If the zoo truly believed that these off-site visits would enhance the conservation of species, they would do it for free," says SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek.

SAFE accused the zoo of being irresponsible and said the use of cheetahs as objects of entertainment was deplorable. "SAFE believes that Wellington Zoo is acting unethically. Visits like this put the animals and the public at risk as the animals are taken into situations where unpredictable things can happen. Should a cheetah get frightened, no handler would be able to control it, people could get bitten and the animal could escape and end up being shot," says Hans.

SAFE was delighted to have its concerns validated from within the international zoo community. In an article published in the Dutch newspaper Friesch Dagblad, Wijbren Landman and Bas Lukkenaar, spokesmen for two leading zoos in Holland, said the programme showed little respect for the animals and was not educational.

"We are completely opposed. We would never do something like that. Actions like this demand that the animals are very tame and we strive to keep them as wild as possible. We don't allow keepers between the animals, let alone strangers. It's not educational either," says Mr Landman.

Zoo whistle blowers

Earlier this year, SAFE received disturbing information from an inside source at the zoo that one of the cheetahs had attacked a zookeeper during a staff meeting. The informant claims that the attack was unprovoked and that the keeper was bitten on the back, close to his neck. The cheetah then bit a zoo volunteer on the ankle. After these attacks the head animal trainer was seen to restrain the cheetah on the ground with his leg and body weight and give the cheetah a few hard, closed-fist punches to the head and face area. The injured zookeeper was later sent to hospital.

SAFE has been told the zoo continued its 'close encounter' programme where zoo visitors paid to enter the animals' enclosure and were allowed to pat them. More alarming was that a few days after the attacks the zoo sent the cheetahs to a school and placed them in front of children.

"SAFE has expressed concerns about the welfare and safety aspects of this fundraising venture from the beginning and these recent allegations prove that these concerns are well-founded," says Han Kriek.

SAFE notified MAF so they could investigate however we have been advised no action will be taken and the zoo continues to run the rent-a-cheetah programme. SAFE was pleased however to be invited for a meeting to discuss its concerns by the Zoo's new CEO, Karen Fifield.

"I hope that Wellington Zoo will be able to sort out some of its problems under her management and that the welfare of the animals, and not their money-making capacity, will become the zoo's top priority," says Hans.

Take Action
Please write to the Wellington Zoo to demonstrate your opposition: Email: amy.hughes@wellingtonzoo.com or post to Wellington Zoo, 200 Daniell St, Newtown, Wellington.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Ms Hughes

I am concerned that Wellington Zoo permits some of its cheetahs to be rented out and taken off the premises for what can only be described as needless entertainment. I believe this is inappropriate and extremely dangerous. I am very surprised the zoo would sanction such reckless action. I would therefore appreciate it if you could answer the following questions:

1) Can you tell me what you believe people will learn about cheetahs in the wild from an encounter with a semi-domesticated pet cheetah kept on a leash? Have you any evidence of any benefits your close encounter and community outreach programs have brought for wild cheetahs in their natural environment?

2) What are your charges for off-site visits with your cheetahs?

3) Can you deny that sending these animals off site to a private gathering endangers the lives of the animals, staff and spectators involved?

4) What will you do if someone is injured by one of the cheetahs during one of these excursions?

5) On a more general note, I understand the zoo states it plays an important role in conservation to ensure the survival of endangered species. Can you tell me the percentage of species kept at Wellington Zoo that are on the endangered list? How many of these species have been successfully bred and reintroduced into the wild?

6) Can you explain the rationale for keeping all the other non-endangered species in the zoo.

Thank you for your time.

Yours

Zoos kill for the skin trade

Undercover reporters have revealed that zoos in the UK are killing healthy tigers and other endangered species and selling their skins to be stuffed and mounted as trophies for private collectors.

Two British reporters for The Sunday Times were offered the skins from two zoo tigers that were both only a few years old when they died, for £6,000 ($15,400). The taxidermists are selling the stuffed tigers in Britain by exploiting a loophole in the European Union law controlling the trade in endangered animals.

Taxidermist Andre Brandwood said zoos had recognised there was a market and were placing a 'shelf life' on animals and cashing in by having them stuffed before they got old, suffered illness and then cost them money.

Will Travers of the Born Free Foundation said: "It is abhorrent to imagine zoo animals, some of which may have been visitors' favourites, are being killed to feed a demand for trinkets and decorative items."

Linked articles: www.timesonline.co.uk
Key words: tiger skins

Costa Rica ban

Priscilla Cubero, president of the non-profit organization PROMAR Foundation, says the decision was based on research that suggests these activities have a negative impact on the animals as well as people. According to Cubero, captivity also reduces the cetacean lifespan.

"Captivity decreases cetaceans' average lifespan by 70 per cent in comparison to whales and dolphins that live in freedom," said a PROMAR representative.