Re : (CN - HKG) A Cagey Issue

[Guest guest]

Dear Shubho,

You ask about Hong Kong Zoos!

1. Lai Chi Kok zoo.

It was a disgrace. HK SPCA and Born Free Foundation amongst others campaigned

long and hard for its closure. This played into the hands of Deacon Chiu, the

owner, who wanted to redevelop the land for housing but didn't know what to do

with the animals. He agreed to close the zoo if we could find homes for the

inmates. The elephant died and the camel was taken by the British Army but the

rest were a problem. A Chinese company was developing a large area of farmland

into a Safari Park just over the border in Shenzhen. On paper the plans looked

great. The owner was willing to take the animals so we went to look at it. It

was indeed well planned and beautifully laid out. There were a number of

incidents during the day that made us worry about the zoo management - eg the

hippopotami were hiding under the water so the manager ordered the workers to

beat them with a bamboo pole so that they would come out for us to see them.

Unfortunately there was no alternative for the LCK animals, apart from having

them killed. So the plan went ahead. Over the years our worst fears were

realised and the Xili Lake Zoo and Safari Park must rank as one of the most

heartlessly managed zoos anywhere.

2. Ocean Park

Ocean Park is an amusement park where animals are kept for human amusement so

you can call it a kind of zoo. It is much better managed than most zoos and some

of the senior staff genuinely believe in their conservation and educational

roles. But their current plans to bring in polar bears, more pandas and

wild-caught orcas belie their good intentions.

3. Kadoorie Farm.

This is a genuine wild-life sanctuary.

Who is involved in opposing zoos in Hong Kong? I was amazed at the number of

expressions of support for my anti-zoo views that I have received recently. It

seems that there is a growing army of NGOs and individuals who have become aware

of the atrocities of the zoo world.

As for criticism, I am always glad to have opportunities to argue my opinions.

Ingrained cultural ideas can only be changed by engaging in conversations.

Best wishes.

John.

 

Thanks for posting this, my views are in consonance with

> yours. Can you please tell us how many zoos exist in Hong Kong? I believe

> Lai Chi Kok was closed with your help for a real estate development project?

> Ocean Park is also a zoo, is it not? Was in the news for dying False Killer

> Whales and Giant Pandas. Kadoorie Farm. This one. What other captive

> facilities do they have? Which groups are working there apart from PeTA?

>

> Lai Chi Kok produced a memorable wildlife picture : a Giraffe in front of

> a towering skyscraper, the semiotics significance was very touching.

> Unfortunately, in the rush to relocate animals, they sent them over to

> China, from the frying pan to the fire. Not unusual. More information on

> the zoo situation in Hong Kong would be appreciated.

>

> Just to let you know, on the ZooChat Forum, some folks have royally

> clobbered both you and me for our stance on zoos. Here :

>

> http://www.zoochat.com/1206/asian-animal-protection-network-28339/

>

> But that is OK. If you criticise others, you must be prepared to face

> criticism yourself.

>

> Best regards,

>

>

>

>

>

>

> November 27th, 2009

> Should the caging methods at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

> be overhauled?

> By June Ng

> HK Magazine

> http://hk-magazine.com/feature/cagey-issue

>

> The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is one of the most valuable

> green spots amid the concrete jungle of Central, and is part of the

> collective memory of multiple generations of Hongkongers. Almost everybody

> remembers the first time they visited the park and saw its exotic animals as

> a kid. Yet few are aware that the conditions under which its animals are

> kept has drawn criticism from animal rights activists for years.

>

> First installed in the 1970s, the cages that are used in the Gardens are now

> considered to be an old-fashioned means for keeping zoo animals. Notable

> controversy recently surrounded the case of the jaguars. Last year,

> there was a debate over whether or not the government should import a new

> jaguar to replace the deceased Siu Fa, the last remaining jaguar in the zoo.

> In the end the idea was dropped after it was decided that there wasn't

> enough space for the animal in the cage. In a similar case back in 1998, the

> zoo's two adult jaguars had to be kept in separate cages to stop them from

> mating and

> producing offspring.

>

> But these are just two of the park's 550 animals. All in all there are 70

> mammals (of 18 different varieties), 400 birds (of 150 varieties), and 80

> reptiles (of 15 varieties) residing in the 5.4-hectare Gardens. Forty-eight

> percent of the animals are endangered species protected by law. And among

> the mammals, 11 of them are arboreal apes such as orangutans, gibbons,

> tamarins and lemurs. Such animals are supposed to reside in trees and swing

> about freely. Yet they are currently kept in cages with only parts of tree

> trunks.

>

> Dr. John Wedderburn, a medical doctor who has pushed for animal rights for

> more than a decade, believes the zoo is " a disgrace for a wealthy society

> like Hong Kong. " He stressed there is insufficient space for the animals to

> behave in accordance with their natural instincts. " You could argue that

> Hong Kong people have to live in small apartments, but at least we can open

> the door and leave the flat, " he says.

>

> PETA representative Jason Baker agrees. " The animals are basically living in

> a jail cell, " he says. For example, the cage that houses two siamangs-the

> black furred gibbons from Malaysia and the largest species of the gibbon

> family-is 150m2 in size, when an adult siamang could be as tall as one

> meter, and their armspan could reach almost double the length of their

> height.

>

> But as the only government-run zoo that houses such a large variety of rare

> species, the park remains a popular destination. According to the Leisure

> and Cultural Services Department, 830,000 people visited the park last year.

> And one important purpose of the park is to educate. In this respect, Dr.

> Billy Hau from the Division of Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of

> Hong Kong thinks the park should be commended. " Before we had the park, it

> was difficult to get hold of information and see real living animals for

> free, " he says.

>

> Dr. Wedderburn and Baker disagree. " What can children learn when they see an

> orangutan lying on a concrete floor? " asks Baker. Wedderburn adds that

> exhibiting animals in cages is simply to show them being exploited by

> humans.

>

> Even so, Dr. Hau believes the Gardens have a good reputation when it comes

> to conserving endangered species such as the golden lion tamarin. It's

> estimated that there are 1,000 in the wild and 490 in the captive breeding

> population, and two of these were born here.

>

> Dr. Wedderburn questions the point of the conservation program. " When

> they're born, will they be released to the wild? " he asks. " No, they'll just

> be transferred to other zoos. If you had children, would you want them to

> stay in prison forever? " Meanwhile, Baker from PETA points out that our zoo

> is in fact among the top three most complained about zoos in Asia. While

> both agree that the staff there have done a good job in terms of providing

> health care for and feeding the animals, they think the LCSD should phase

> out the animals and ultimately close the zoo, keeping the park just as a

> botanical garden.

>

> It's still early to talk about whether or not the park should only feature

> plants, as was originally intended when it was set up in 1871. When we

> talked to some visitors there, they suggested making the cages bigger and

> putting more natural features inside them. At the end of the day, it's a

> complicated issue, as Dr. Hau affirms. " One could say that they suffer in

> the cages, but one could also argue that they would suffer if they had to

> find food on their own in the wild, " he says. He adds that captive breeding

> is important if we want to preserve endangered species, and says the zoo can

> serve as a kind of " ark " for such animals. As for possible improvements, the

> LCSD says they have been sending zoo staff to attend overseas training to

> learn the most up-to-date animal management and husbandry techniques, and

> that the facilities are frequently being improved and updated.

[Guest guest]

Dear John,

Thank you for your response.

I have been a member of the Born Free Foundation since 2000 and knew of

their involvement in this case. I was also aware of the Lai Chi Kok

situation even earlier. It was not an ideal situation just like the setting

for their rescued tigers in Bannerghatta is not ideal.(It is inside pristine

forest land and the surrounding zoo and safari animals have not been

adquately catered to.)

I concur with you on criticisms. After the initial exchange of fire, I have

been in constant touch with Peter Dickinson of ZooNews Digest and we have

agreed to disagree. He acknowledges the existence of bad zoos and I see

merit in animal captivity in zoos in some occasions, principally in a

rescue-rehabilitation role. He has d me to his zoo news list and I

have added him to my personal mailing list. It is important to keep some

kind of dialogue going with your opposition to understand their views. The

latest workshop in Delhi organised by Wildlife Institute of India on media

and conservation on 9th and 10th December, 2009 nwas a good opportunity to

exchange views with some of the biggest figures in conservation in India.

Best regards,