(CN) Campaign to stop 'animal Olympics'

[Guest guest]

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

South China Morning Post

http://hongkong.scmp.com/hknews/ZZZ8JVN9CRE.html

by BILL SAVADOVE in Shanghai

 

Two bears compete in a boxing event during the " animal Olympics " at

the Shanghai Wild Animal Park. Photo: AFP

 

A Hong Kong animal rights group has launched a campaign to stop

performances and photo-taking sessions at the Shanghai Wild Animal

Park, saying its treatment of the animals is cruel and appalling.

Animals Asia Foundation has urged people to write to Shanghai Mayor

Han Zheng to halt the " animal Olympics " performance, which includes

events such as a football match and bicycle races, involving animals

ranging from monkeys to elephants.

 

" It's a retrograde step using animals as entertainment when countries

around the world are moving away from this sort of exploitation of

wild and endangered species, " the group's founder, Jill Robinson,

said yesterday.

 

The park launched the show four years ago to coincide with the

National Day holidays.

 

" The park is one of many such parks throughout China which invent

unusual and invariably cruel ways to attract more visitors, " the

group said.

 

A foundation executive who recently visited the Shanghai park also

found evidence of cruelty towards animals forced to pose for

photographs with visitors.

 

" The animals were cruelly chained and often their mouths wired shut, "

the group said in a statement.

 

The foundation called for people to write letters to the mayor as

well as to China National Tourist Offices around the world and

Chinese embassies to say such practices reflect poorly on Shanghai's

image as an international city.

 

A park official would not say whether its management was aware of the

campaign to shut down the show, but said the performances would run

until the end of next month.

 

" The performances are very popular. Many local parents brought their

children, and tourists from outside of Shanghai came to watch the

show during the National Day holiday, " she said.

 

A Shanghai government spokesman said the city would not shut down the

show because it was not breaking any laws.

 

" There aren't any regulations banning animal shows in our country.

The city government won't stop it, " the spokesman said.

 

The foundation waged a successful campaign to rescue bears raised for

extraction of bile used in traditional medicine. It has offered to

take in a blind Asiatic bear from the park and place it in the

group's sanctuary in Chengdu .