(CN) Warm crocs face uncertain future

[Guest guest]

China Daily

http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2001-12-31/50128.html

by HU MEIDONG and QIN CHUAN

12/31/2001

 

The fate of more than 500 crocodiles in a crocodile park in Fuzhou, capital

of South China's Fujian Province, hangs in the balance but measures have

been taken to keep them warm in winter.

The Taijiang District Bureau for Parks and Gardens is temporarily in charge

of the park but a local court has still to decide on who will take over the

park.

 

A park animal keeper called Wang fed the crocodiles with chicken as he told

China Daily that the reptiles were now in semi-hibernation and needed to be

fed just once every two weeks. Normally, they are fed once a week.

 

Wang said warm water was being pumped in underground and that sheds had been

built to keep the crocodiles warm.

 

The crocodiles' condition has attracted public attention since local media

reported the bankruptcy of park owner Yabo (Fuzhou) Industry Co Ltd, which

bought more than 700 crocodiles from Thailand in 1998 to set up the park.

 

The reports said the crocodiles had been left in a difficult situation

because of a shortage of money and poor management.

 

However, Wang said the condition of the crocodiles was " good " as the

temperature of the underground water is kept between 19 and 22 degrees

centigrade, which was warm enough for the crocodiles.

 

When it gets windy and cold outside, the crocodiles go into the warm sheds,

where the temperature is above 19 degrees, he added.

 

The Taijiang District Bureau is paying all costs for taking care of the

crocodiles, he said.

 

Both Liang Congjie, chairman of Friends of Nature, and Zhang Li, programme

officer of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said they " strongly

oppose " such actions.

 

They said companies are profit-oriented and most of them pay no attention to

wildlife protection.

 

Xie Zhong, secretary of the zoos department of the Ministry of Construction,

blamed a lack of co-ordination between the relevant departments for the

establishment of profit-oriented wildlife parks.

 

Xie, whose ministry is responsible for the establishment of wildlife parks,

said: " Many companies manage to get permission to buy animals from the State

Forestry Administration and then establish wildlife parks without permission

from the Ministry of Construction. "

 

That has caused great damage to wildlife resources, she said.

 

" The two departments should communicate with each other to deal with the

problem, " she added.