On Pata Zoo Gorilla

[Guest guest]

Must applaud Jane for speaking out about Polo on so many occasions when the

Indian groups have largely been silent on his plight in Mysore. Thank you

also to Peter Dickinson for highlighting this issue in his latest

newsletter.

 

 

Hi ,

 

I don't know where this reporter or his sources got their info, but since

the only zoo in Belgium with gorillas is Antwerp, where there is one western

lowland male and 2 graueri females, I don't see any zoo sending gorillas to

Pata. Of course, I could be wrong, but I certainly hope not.

 

Sounds like this is more of the same publicity. Wouldn't it be nice if

they'd send their female to Polo in Mysore or Idi in Brasil? But no, not

gonna happen, since zoos want gorillas and doing something in the gorilla's

best interest, vs their own bottom line, isn't a strong motivator, I'm

afraid. Of course, Zagango finally sent their female to Chapultapec in

Mexico City, so hope springs eternal.

 

Did you post this on the Asian Animal news group? Feel free to post my

response here, if you like.

 

Jane

 

-

**

*Sent:* Thursday, March 04, 2010 6:38 AM

*Subject:* Pata Zoo Gorilla

 

Thu, Mar 04, 2010

The Nation/Asia News Network

<http://news.asiaone.com/print/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100304-202\

442.html>

No

signs of cruelty at PATA zoo

 

Online social networks have joined forces to call for Bangkok's Pata Pinklao

Shopping Mall to provide better living conditions for Bua Noi, a 25-year-old

female gorilla.

 

The mall has been defending itself by inviting these Internet surfers to

come and see things for themselves, and has also revealed that Dusit Zoo is

planning to bring more gorillas over from Belgium.

 

After observing the comments on websites such as Twitter and Facebook, as

well as forwarded e-mails, The Nation decided to visit Pata Zoo.

 

This writer saw parents and children being allowed to take pictures with Bua

Noi, provided they kept the flash off.

 

[image: Click here to find out

more!]<http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/3953/0/0/%2a/h;222613211;2-0;1;39581\

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ed_reach/targeted_reach.html>The

cage was kept clean, with carers hosing it down regularly - contrary to the

allegations on the Net.

 

Bua Noi lives in a 10-by-10-metre air-conditioned cage, with the sunroof

sometimes being opened when the weather is nice.

 

During the three-hour-long observation, Bua Noi was mostly seen sitting

still, dozing off or sometimes snacking from the food tray.

 

Every time she saw a carer walk past, the gorilla looked excited as if she

had caught sight of a parent, though she banged her chest to mark her

territory when a stranger was sighted.

 

Every time the television in the hallway was turned on, the gorilla looked

closely with great interest.

 

Pata Zoo director Khanit Sermsirimongkol said the veterinarians and carers

were always at hand, and that the zoo's other gorilla, Bua Na, had been well

taken care of. Bua Na died of old age when he turned 50.

 

These calls for giving Bua Noi a better life are nothing new.

 

The protests began two or three years ago but things went quiet after Pata

Zoo proved that no animals were being tortured.

 

Khanit said a former employee, who wanted to get back at Pata after being

fired over embezzlement charges, had released the false allegations and

doctored photographs.

 

He said allegations that Bua Noi was tortured so much that she cried were

not credible because monkeys and gorillas cannot cry.

 

In addition, he said, people making these allegations had never actually

visited the zoo.

 

Khanit added that Dusit Zoo was planning to bring over more gorillas from

Belgium to breed and therefore Pata Zoo would be given a chance to learn

more about proper care for the animals.

 

However, a 37-year-old visitor, who visits the zoo often and wanted to only

be identified as Kae, said though the cages were clean, they were rather

small.

 

She also said Bua Noi was not as big and cheerful as she used to be, and

that other animals were also confined in small cages.

 

She advised they be housed in a greener and bigger area.

 

Veterinarian Panthep Rattanakorn from Mahidol University said more

disease-prevention measures should be adopted for Bua Noi, because gorillas

are genetically close to humans and thus susceptible to the same diseases.

 

He also said that raising a gorilla on its own could affect its behaviour,

and something must be done about that soon.

 

-The Nation/Asia News Network

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100304-202442.htm\

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