The state of Jordanian zoos

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Jul 20, 2006 11:11 AM

Jordanian zoos

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Cc: journalistandanimals

 

http://www.natashatynes.com/newswire/2006/05/jordanian_zoo_c.html

May 09, 2006

Jordanian zoo conditions raising warning flags

 

By Jafar Irshaidat

 

AMMAN -- The inhumane treatment of animals in the country's zoos is cause

for concern, according to visitors' complaints sent to the Greater Amman

Municipality (GAM) and the Humane Centre for Animal Welfare (HCAW). The

complaints, seen by The Jordan Times, expressed anger about what one visitor

referred to as " horrendous sights " at local zoos.

 

Among the complaints listed were poor feeding, physical abuse and a lack of

proper medical supervision. " The animals in these zoos are in a miserable

state, " stated Walid Bakri. " Most are starving, some are severely wounded

and everywhere we turned not one zookeeper showed the slightest bit of

care, " his letter continued.

 

Another complaint read: " My children and I witnessed one of the zookeepers

savagely beat animals to force them to submit to what appeared to be a

display of entertainment... It was more than disturbing behaviour for us to

witness. " An investigation conducted by The Jordan Times at three zoos in

the Amman area revealed various violations of national and international

animal rights laws.

 

Source: [The Jordan Times <http://www.jordantimes.com/>]

 

Veterinarians who inspected the mentioned sites confirmed that the majority

of animals were suffering from extreme hunger and showed signs of physical

weakness and fatigue. A wide variety of animals, particularly lions, tigers,

hyenas and other canines, showed signs of abuse including superficial wounds

as well as symptoms of depression and isolation stress, according to the

inspectors.

 

Symptoms of common diseases were also cited, such as the wilting of feathers

among bird species, gum and gastrointestinal infections amongst mammals and

nervous disruptions by animals that are not adaptive to the local

environment, such as bears, baboons and ostriches.

 

" The conditions at these zoos have gone out of control, " said Margaret

Ledger, HCAW director general and founder. " We work day and night to educate

our younger citizens on the ethics of animal treatment, and all that we

teach vanishes when they witness that these authorised locations provide

displays of torture for profit. "

 

HRH Princess Alia, who oversees much of HCAW and GAM's procedures regarding

the matter, said the issue should be addressed immediately. " If we are to

have zoos, we should at least live up to compassionate standards, " she told

The Jordan Times. The Penal Code prohibits the mistreatment of animals and

states that any inhumane treatment will result in one-week imprisonment and

a JD50 fine.

 

According to Ledger, HCAW and GAM's licensing bureau, in association with

the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), attempted to inspect

local zoos to provide training and medical aid, but their teams were denied

entry.

 

Undercover inspections by *The Jordan Times* revealed very poor health

standards, inhumane treatment and poorly trained staff. Zoo owner Imad

Hammo, however, whose zoo was cited in many of the complaints, denied the

animals were being mistreated, saying his staff are trained to a high

standard.

 

" We hire professional zookeepers who are well-trained to deal with these

animals, " Hammo told The Jordan Times. " Many of the diseases and syndromes

mentioned in these complaints are common in a zoo environment, but we do our

best to keep animals as well as possible, " he added.

 

Instead Hammo argued that local zoos are victims of heavy taxation and

bureaucracy, which ultimately diminish revenues and limit their standards.

He complained that globally zoos are supported by their governments, but

those in Jordan receive no aid. All of the zoos in question are privately

owned and charge an average of 500 fils for admission.

 

" I try my best not to show people the worst side of the process of animal

training, but occasionally, I have to resort to violence to get the animals

to submit, " one zookeeper admitted to *The Jordan Times *. " While I don't do

it, I have seen others provoke animals violently for demonstration

purposes, " the keeper added.

 

During a visit to a zoo in the Amman area, this reporter witnessed a tiled

room surrounded by a wire fence. In the room there were traces of blood on

the floor and the skinned coat of a racoon or hyena hung beneath a sink.

 

When questioned, the zoo manager said: " As most of our animals are imported,

they arrive at our facility close to death. Faced with that scenario, we

sometimes kill the animal and skin the fur for decoration. "

 

HCAW Education Manager Nadia Hamam said the reality in many of the country's

zoos runs contrary to her organisation's work in promoting the ethical

treatment of animals among the younger generation.

 

" If local governance does not allow for proper zoo environments, then zoo

owners ought to shut down their zoos as it does not justify the suffering of

these poor animals. They are sending the message that the torture of

sentient beings for a living is acceptable, " said Hamam. " We are looking at

things from an ethical point of view, and it is this view which we try to

instil in our future generations, " she added.