Tigers in Iraq Zoo. Not Smart.
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:17 pm
U.S. Government Sends Tigers to a War Zone!
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has issued a permit for Conservators' Center, Inc.—a roadside zoo in Mebane, North Carolina—to send two tigers to the Baghdad Zoo in Iraq.
When the war in Iraq began, the media reported that hundreds of animals at the Baghdad Zoo were killed, stolen, eaten, stuffed, sold, or let loose by looters, or they escaped when mortar blasts damaged their cages. As newspapers and television continue to remind us, the military conflict in Iraq is far from over and incidents of extreme violence are still commonplace. In addition, there is no evidence that Iraq has standards for captive-animal care that are comparable to those in the U.S. and there is no regulatory agency to provide oversight of the zoo and ensure humane and adequate animal husbandry. Documents included with the permit application indicate that animals at the Baghdad Zoo are handled with ropes.
The proposal to send the tigers to the Baghdad Zoo is being portrayed as a gesture of goodwill toward the citizens of Iraq, but it is cruel and irresponsible to put tigers in harm's way in a country where most of the people don't even have access to basic necessities.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has issued a permit for Conservators' Center, Inc.—a roadside zoo in Mebane, North Carolina—to send two tigers to the Baghdad Zoo in Iraq.
When the war in Iraq began, the media reported that hundreds of animals at the Baghdad Zoo were killed, stolen, eaten, stuffed, sold, or let loose by looters, or they escaped when mortar blasts damaged their cages. As newspapers and television continue to remind us, the military conflict in Iraq is far from over and incidents of extreme violence are still commonplace. In addition, there is no evidence that Iraq has standards for captive-animal care that are comparable to those in the U.S. and there is no regulatory agency to provide oversight of the zoo and ensure humane and adequate animal husbandry. Documents included with the permit application indicate that animals at the Baghdad Zoo are handled with ropes.
The proposal to send the tigers to the Baghdad Zoo is being portrayed as a gesture of goodwill toward the citizens of Iraq, but it is cruel and irresponsible to put tigers in harm's way in a country where most of the people don't even have access to basic necessities.
The year after we were there they closed it down for visitors in the cage, a lioness mauled a man that made a sudden move toward his son. These animals weren't trained, just tolerated people as long as the handlers were around. :-4